Download Austria-Hungary

The Major Players
Russia
France
Serbia
Austria-Hungary
Britain
Ottoman Empire
United States
Germany
Ottoman Empire
[Ottoman Empire: Persian Gulf to Africa, the Holy lands, Egypt to central
Europe. A massive force of Austrians, Germans and Poles managed to drive
them back from Austria’s borders and out of central Europe].
Several weak Sultans in a row led to the eventual decline
In 1912 several Balkan nations signed treaties to go to war together against
the Ottoman empire and drive them out permanently
1. The Ottoman Empire was once a superpower, ruling the Middle East and
much of northern Africa and eastern Europe.
2. By the end of the 1800s the empire was in decline, shrinking in size and
subject to internal problems and instability.
3. There were attempts at political reform, such as the Young Turk rebellion,
though they did not arrest the decline.
4. Despite its 19th century problems, the Ottomans occupied a critical
position, controlling access to the Black Sea.
5. The European powers showed a strong interest in the future of the
empire, particularly Germany, which invested in the Berlin-Baghdad railway
that passed through Ottoman territory.
Balkans
Surrounded by three empires: Russian, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian
In late 19th century It was ruled by the Ottoman Empire
Access to several important waterways, including the Bosphorous on the
Black Sea (Russia wants access to the Mediterranean)
A gateway between the east and the west for cultural and mercantile
exchange
A melting pot of ethnicities
Britain doesn’t want Russia expanding it’s control, and so wanted the
Ottoman Empire to stay in tact as long as possible
As it disintegrated, several countries became independent states (including
Serbia)
Germany, Britain, Russia and France all want it now or have a vested
interest
Serbia managed to double in size as a result
Russia now relies on Serbia as a buffer against Austria-Hungary
Serbian nationalism increases exponentially
In 1908 Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina
Russia is afraid of this Austrian influence and wants war; they have agents
encouraging the black Hand and other groups to react
The assassination of Ferdinand provides Austria with the pretext for
crushing Serbian nationalism
Serbia
1. Serbia was sandwiched between Austria-Hungary and other Balkan states
previously controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
2. Serbia gained her independence from the Ottomans in the 1800s but
came under the political and economic control of Austria.
3. Under King Peter I from 1903, Serbia modernised, liberalised, grew
economically and began to shed Austrian control.
4. Serbia also became a harbour for nationalism and pan-Slavism, further
antagonising Austro-Hungarian leaders.
5. Tensions with Austria-Hungary contributed to the rise of several
nationalist groups, which aimed to defend Serbia from Austrian
encroachment and protect the rights of Slavic people in southern Europe.
Germany
1. Germany was a relatively new nation, formed by the unification of several
German-speaking kingdoms in 1871.
2. The catalyst for this was German nationalism, which grew rapidly through
the mid-1800s, fuelled by propagandists.
3. Prussia’s victory over France in 1871 precipitated unification and the
creation of Imperial Germany under Wilhelm I.
4. The German government was largely left to Count Otto von Bismarck,
who oversaw economic and social reforms.
5. Imperial Germany was technologically and industrially advanced, with
some progressive social policies – however it was also strongly shaped by
militarism, nationalism and government authoritarianism.
Great Britain
1. Great Britain was at the centre of the world’s largest empire, a beneficiary
of colonial resources and trade.
2. Britain occupied territory on four different continents and was at the
centre of a vast trading and commercial empire.
3. Domestically, 19th century Britain was often unsettled by demands for
improved conditions and political reform.
4. British rulers engaged in imperial expansion but sought to avoid war, a
policy dubbed ‘splendid isolation’.
5. This policy approached waned in the early 1900s, as British interest was
sparked by events in Europe, particularly the unification of Germany and the
expansionist policies adopted by Kaiser Wilhelm II.
France
1. France endured a turbulent first half of the 19th century, divided and
disrupted by war, revolution and political instability.
2. In 1870 the French ruler Napoleon III entered into a dangerous war
against Prussia, which produced an embarrassing defeat.
3. The loss of significant provinces like Alsace and Lorraine was a source of
tension and nationalism for the next 40 years.
4. French industrialisation grew steadily in the later 1800s. New affluence
gave rise to a period of urban, cultural and artistic growth called the Belle
Epoque.
5. The French rulers were also occupied with the ‘race for empire’ and for
securing France’s position in Europe, particularly against a rapidly
industrialising and militarising German empire.
Russia
1. Russia spanned one-sixth of the globe and was by far the largest nation of
Europe, both in size and population.
2. Russia’s government and social structure retained medieval elements;
absolute power rested with the tsar (monarch).
3. Despite a marked increase in industrial growth in the late 1800s, Russia’s
economy lagged behind western Europe.
4. In 1904-5 Russia suffered a humiliating military defeat at the hands of
Japan, which triggered a domestic revolution.
5. Russia’s relationship with Germany had been comparatively good, in part
because the Russian tsar and German kaiser were cousins – however this
evolved during the first years of the 1900s.
Austria-Hungary
1. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a dual monarchy, formed by a merger
of the two older states in 1867.
2. Though Austrians were dominant, the empire housed many different
ethnic and language groups.
3. Like Germany, went through a significant period of industrial growth and
modernisation in the late 1800s.
4. Its government, led by Emperor Franz Josef, was autocratic and
dominated by aristocrats and militarists.
5. Austria-Hungary had a powerful modernised army, though its was
effectiveness was undermined by internal political and ethnic divisions, such
as language barriers between officers and their men.
United States
1. In the 1870s the United States began reconstructing and modernising
after a divisive and deadly civil war.
2. The last decades of the 1800s were marked by rapid industrial growth,
the rise of tycoons but mediocre government.
3. This period was dubbed the ‘Gilded Age’, as its economic prosperity was
superficial and did not apply to all Americans.
4. By the early 1900s the US was a burgeoning superpower, one of the
world’s largest economies and a military strength.
5. While American leaders sought to extend their control over areas like
Cuba and the Philippines, the US generally adopted an isolationist foreign
policy, remaining aloof from the disputes and tensions of Europe.