Download Chapter 17: The First World War

The First World War
The Causes
McKay Chapter 27 (887-895) Palmer 17.85
Overview of WWI
The Road to War
German
Empire
begins
-France
loses
Alsace
and
Lorraine
1871
League of
the Three
Emperors
(1872)
Dual
Alliance
(1879)
1888
Nicholas
II crown
Tsar of
Russia
1894
Wilhelm II
crowned
Kaiser
-Drops the
Pilot (1890)
Bloody
Sunday (St.
Petersburg
Gavrilo
Princeps &
the Black
Hand
assasinate
Archduke
Ferdinand
1904
RussoJapanese
War
British launch first
"dreadnought" class
battleship (1906)
1914
Three Emperors League (1872)
• Treaty between Kaiser William I
of Germany, Czar Alexander II of
Russia and Emperor Francis
Joseph of Austria
• Bismarck's aim for forming this
League was to isolate France
• agreed to
– maintain the existing
territorial arrangements in
Europe
– to resist the spread of
revolutionary (e.g. socialist)
movements
– to consult one another if any
international difficulties arose
• A weak alliance:
– rivalry between Austria and
Russia over the Balkan
Peninsula
The Russo-Turkish War (1878)
• Rivalry between Austria and
Russia in the Balkans came to
a head in 1877-78
• In 1875, five Balkan states
revolted against the Turkish
rule
• Russia supported Balkan
states and defeated Turkey
• On March 8, 1878, Turkey
forced to sign the Treaty of
San Stefano
– created an independent,
Big Bulgaria
• Bulgaria would be a Russian
puppet
• Austria intervened, backed up
by Britain
• Bismarck volunteered to act
as an "honest broker"
The Congress of Berlin 1878
• Germany sided with Austria
and Britain
– Russia had to give up the
Treaty of San Stefano and
sign the Treaty of Berlin
– Split Bulgaria into three
parts
• Bulgarian Proper
• Eastern Rumelia and
Macedonia were to be
ruled under Turkish
sovereignty
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
under Austrian military
occupation (but not
annexation)
• Russia felt diplomatically
Cartoon ridiculing
humiliated
the Congress of
– turned against Bismarck Berlin
Let us have piece
Cartoon
satirizing the
Congress of
Berlin that
led to
Turkey’s
loss of
BosniaHerzegovina
and Bulgaria
Dual Alliance (1879-1918)
• Germany sided with Austria
• Unable to maintain friendly relations with
both Austria and Russia, Bismarck allied
with Austria
– preferred a weaker partner which could
be more easily controlled
– would throw open the Danube valley to
German trade
– had racial ties with Germany
– would enable Germany to exercise
influence in the Balkans
– alliance with Russia would antagonize
Britain
• terms of the Dual Alliance
– support the other militarily until the end of
the war if attacked by Russia
– agreed to remain neutral if her ally was
attacked by a power other than Russia
– Later adds Italy (Triple Alliance)
Second Three Emperors' League (1881)
• Bismarck still wanted to keep
Russian friendship after the signing
of Dual Alliance (1879) with Austria
• Czar Alexander III ascended the
Russian throne after the
assassination of Alexander II
• renewal of the Three Emperors'
League of 1872 which promised to
suppress the revolutionary
movements
• terms of the League were
– Balkans was to be divided into
two spheres of influence
– western Balkans (Bosnia and
Herzegovina) belonged to Austria
– eastern Balkans (Bulgaria)
belonged to Russia
– the three Emperors agreed to
consult one another if there was
another Balkan crisis
• Yet rivalry of Balkans between
Austria and Russia remained
Reinsurance Treaty 1887-1890
• Bismarck secretly made a treaty with
Russia without informing Austria
• Russia and Germany would observe
neutrality towards each other if either
became involved in war with a third
power, except if Germany attacked
France or if Russia attacked AustriaHungary
• Bismarck’s goal
– Prevent two front war
• Wilhelm II
– refused to renew treaty
– Dropped the Pilot (1890)
– Began Weltpolitik (World Politics)
• Wilhelm’s policy to make Germany
a world power
– Demanded a “place in the sun”
– Announced plan to build large navy
(Dreadnought ships)
Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)
• Wilhelm’s rash decision
not to renew
Reassurance Treaty
pushed Russia into arms
of France
• France gave loans,
arms, and friendship
• Military alliance formed
to block attack of Triple
Alliance of Germany,
Austria, Italy
– Politics makes strange
bedfellows
End of Splendid Isolation
• Who would GB support?
• Felt “natural alliance” with Germany
(Angles & Saxons)
• Yet tensions began to rise b/t GB and
Germany after 1890
• Wilhelm II = Diplomatic Dope
– Kruger Telegram (1896)
• "I express to you my sincere
congratulations that, without
appealing to the help of friendly
Powers, you and your people
have succeeded in repelling with
your own forces the armed
bands which had broken into
your country, and in maintaining
the independence of your
country against foreign
aggression."
– Message sent following
Transvaal’s victory against
British Jameson Raid (1895)
• GB realized that it was becoming
isolated and hated (Fashoda, Boer War)
Britain
turning back
on Germany
(1904)
Triple Entente
• Anglo-French Entente (1904)
– was a close understanding (entente
cordiale) in 1904
– British and French governments
come to terms over differences in
1904
– British control of Egypt is recognized
by France
– French presence in North Africa is
recognized by England
– Not an alliance (didn’t say what they
would do if war came)
• Anglo-Russian Agreement (1907)
– 1907 a humiliated Russia (defeated
by Japan) is agreeable to relations
with England
– British recognized Russian sphere of
influence in the north of Persia
– Russians recognized a British sphere
in the south and east
First Moroccan Crisis (1905)
• France obtained protectorate control
of Morocco in 1904
• In 1905, Germany announced its
support of independence for Morocco
– Tangier Speech
– Kaiser William II made a speech
from warship in Tangier to
Moroccans and supported their
independence against the French
– Wilhelm wanted to test the Entente
– tactic to drive a wedge b/t France
and England
• Both France and Germany called up
reserve troops and began to mobilized
• Algeciras Conference (1906)
– At conference at Algeria (1906)
France backed by Britain, Russia,
Italy, Spain, and the United States
• Germany’s only friend is Austria
Pan-Slav Nationalism
• Ausgleich
– Compromise of 1867 creating
the Austro-Hungarian Empire
– Left many minorities embittered
(esp. Slavs)
• Pan Slavism nationalism was
encouraged by Russia
– Saw Serbians as their “little
brothers”
– Shared Slavic language,
orthodox religion, cultural
traditions
• Serbs dreamed of a nation of
southern Slavs (Yugoslavia)
– Coveted Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Interlaced population of
Catholic Croats, Albanian
Muslims, and Orthodox Serbs
Bosnian Crisis (1908)
• Secret agreement between Austria
and Russia
– Austria would take Bosnia
– Russia would take Straits
• Austria quickly annexes Bosnia
• Serbia is furious
– Wanted Slavic Bosnia
– Serbia threatened war on AustriaHungary
• Russia began to mobilize but waited
to long to act
– backed down after GB and France
condemn action
• World War I was postponed when
Russia backed down
• relations between Austria- Hungary
and Serbia were greatly strained
Austria
and
Bulgaria
rip up
the
Ottoman
Empire:
the
Bosnian
Crisis,
1908
Two Balkan Wars
• First Balkan War (1912)
– Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece
joined in and took Macedonia from
the Ottomans
– Serbs wanted Kosovo
– Bulgars claimed more of
Macedonia than was acceptable to
Serbia
• Second Balkan War (1913)
– Austria, Serbia (Russia), and
Greece squabble over Albania
(Muslim) and attack Bulgaria
• Austria was determined to keep
Serbia land locked
• Albania became “Independent”
• Serbs were frustrated
• Russians were humiliated again
The Vortex- Will the Powers be drawn in?
1879
The Dual Alliance
1881
Austro-Serbian Alliance
1882
The Triple Alliance
Germany and Austria-Hungary made an
alliance to protect themselves from
Russia
Austria-Hungary made an alliance with
Serbia to stop Russia gaining control of
Serbia
Germany and Austria- Hungary made an
alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking
sides with Russia
1894
Franco-Russian Alliance
1914
Triple Entente (no separate peace)
Russia formed an alliance with France to
protect herself against Germany and
Austria-Hungary
Britain, Russia and France agreed not to
sign for peace separately.
1907
Triple Entente
This was made between Russia, France
and Britain to counter the increasing
threat from Germany.
Top
1907
Anglo-Russian Entente
1904
Entente Cordiale
This was an agreement between Britain
and Russia
This was an agreement, but not a formal
alliance, between France and Britain.
Europe on the Eve of War, June 1914
Germany
competes with
GB’s naval
supremacy
Russian,
Germany,
GB,
France
compete
for empire
Germany’s militarism
threatens France and
Russia
Malignant
nationalism grows in
Serbia
Russia, AusHun, Ottoman
Emp. vie for
control of
Balkans
The Sarajevo Crisis
• Gavrilo Princeps
– a Serbian nationalist
– Member of the “Black Hand”
– Sometimes called Young Bosnia
– assassinated Hapsburg
Archduke Francis Ferdinand
(Heir to the Austrian throne) on
June 28, 1914
• Ferdinand was known to favor more
equality for the Serbs
– But reformers who made the
system work are the most
dangerous to revolutionaries
who want total change
• Evidence suggested that the
Serbian gov. had aided the
assassins
• Austria now determined to end Slav
nationalism
Germany “Blank Check”
• Blank Check
– Refers to Germany’s
unconditional support of
Austria to be harsh with
Serbia
• Austria issued “The July
Ultimatum” to Serbia
– 10 intentionally
unacceptable demands
– Demanded that it lead the
investigation in Serbia
and punish the
perpetrators
• Serbia accepted 8 of the ten
but claimed a violation of
sovereignty
– Knew that Russia would
not allow its further loss
of influence in the
Balkans
• Russia counted on France
which gave Russia a blank
check
The Guns of August
• Austria declared war on Serbia July
28, 1914
• Russia began partial mobilization
against Austria and Germany
– The first nation to mobilize had advantage
of rapid offense
• Germany demanded Russia end its
mobilization but got no answer
• Declared war on Russia and France
on Aug. 1 and 3 1914
• Britain was evasive at first and on
8/4/14 declared war on Germany
– Unsatisfactory answer regarding Belgian
neutrality
• Had Germany known that British
would fight the whole war may have
been avoided
• But Germany should have known that
England would fight, especially after
Belgium was invaded
• Violated Treaty of Neutrality of 1839
• WWI had begun
MAIN causes of WWI
• Militarism
– Aggressive buildup of armed forces meant to
intimidate other nations
– German insecurity led to massive buildup
• Alliance System
– Insecurity caused nations form security guarantees
– An attack on one was an attack on all
• Imperialism
– Intense competition among powers
for territory/ status
• Nationalism
– Intense love of one’s nation mixed with social
Darwinism
• Viewed other nations as inferior
• Fredrick Nietzsche’s Will to Power
Causes of WWI
• The Alliance System
– Based on living in fear of war
– Any given incident or crisis (German
intervention in Morocco, assassination of
Archduke) could not be settled by the
primary parties
• German militarism/encirclement (Weltpolitik)
– Feared war with both France and Russia
– Forced to support Austria
– 1887 began to compete with British navy
• Dreadnought (1906)
– “Place in the Sun”
• Made Germany aggressive
– British ended “splendid isolation”
• Makes Germany feel encircled
• Balance of Power upset
– German strength
– Threatened France
– Forced France to support Russia
Causes of WWI
• Russian and Austrian weakness and desperation
– Both were tottering empires
– Russian revolutionaries weaken empire
– Austrian nationalistic agitation weaken empire
– Each had little to lose and were reckless
• Nationalism/ Ethnic & Social Tensions
– Aggressive nationalism made each nation
believe that theirs was the right cause
– Flamed by Nation-States
• Molded public opinion, created traditions
• Flags, national anthems, uniforms
• France resurrected Bastille Day in 1880
– Social Democrats unrepresented in German
government
• War used as a means to distract the masses
• Zeitgeist
– Weltpolitik (World Politic)
• Wilhelm II policy to make Germany world
power
– Social Darwinism
– Authors like Nietzsche glorified struggle
The individual has always
had to struggle to keep
from being overwhelmed
by the tribe. If you try it,
you will be lonely often,
and sometimes
frightened. But no price is
too high to pay for the
privilege of owning
yourself.
Friedrich
Nietzsche
German philosopher
(1844 - 1900)