Download The Road to World War I

The Road to World War I
New Imperialism
• After consolidating the German and Italian
states, the major European powers looked to
Africa and Asia for conquest – economic and
territory
• Demands for natural resources, markets and
cache moved the European powers toward a
scramble for “less developed” nations.
Europeans dominated the economies,
resources, and populations of the areas they
controlled.
The British Empire
Colonies
• European nations had colonies since the early days of
exploration in the 1500s.
• In the 1800s, European nations began a furious drive for
new colonies in Africa and Asia.
• This NEW IMPERIALISM was motivated by the Industrial
Revolution and the theories of SOCIAL DARWINISM.
• The economic demands of markets, raw materials
coupled with European rivalries and the belief that white
Christian Europeans needed to “civilize” the world all led
to the new imperialism.
“White Man’s Burden” – Rudyard Kipling
• Take up the White Man's burden-Send forth the best ye breed-Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild-Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.
stanza one
Types of Colonies
• 1. SETTLEMENT COLONIES – places where large
numbers of Europeans and their families moved to start
new lives – ex. Australia, New Zealand, Algeria, etc.
• 2. DEPENDENT COLONIES – a few European officials
ruled over the native populations – usually because of a
large number of European soldiers Ex. Angola
• 3. SPHERES OF INFLUENCE – areas where the
Europeans did not technically own the land or technically
run the government – BUT – because of economic
forces and often troops – European powers were able to
control the area “behind the scenes.” Ex. China
Missionaries
• Many in Europe and the United States
went to Africa and Asia as missionaries –
trying to evangelize and educate the
people.
• Some missionaries brought education and
science – while others brought with them
Social Darwinism.
• Perhaps the best known missionary was
Dr. David Livingstone.
Social Darwinism
• Many in Europe looked at the native peoples of
Africa and Asia with disdain. This belief gave
the Europeans a justification (in their minds) for
controlling the Africans and Asians.
• British entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes said:
– “We happen to be the best people in the world, with
the highest ideals of decency and justice and liberty
and peace, and the more of the world we inhabit, the
better it is for humanity.”
Imperialism and Industrialization
• The growing industrialization of Europe required
the Europeans to look to Africa and Asia for the
raw materials needed.
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COPPER
MANGANESE
RUBBER
GUANO
GOLD
DIAMONDS
• Guano
Leopold II and the Belgian Congo
• Leopold II was determined to make Belgium a
player in the scramble for Africa. Despite being
rebuffed by the Belgian legislature, Leopold
used his own money and influence to acquire
the Congo in central Africa.
• Leopold used explorer Henry Stanley to get local
African leaders to sign power over to Leopold.
Thus began a period of massive exploitation in
the Congo – torture, slavery, intimidation, mass
murder, and mutilation.
Leopold II
Henry Stanley
Imperialism and Competition
• Rivalries among the European powers moved
them to “carve up” Africa and Asia – in part
because one nation was afraid the others would
get more territory.
• OTTO VON BISMARCK – encouraged the
French to get colonies in Africa and Asia as a
way to counter-balance the British. Germany
took Southwest Africa, Togoland, the
Cameroons, and East Africa.
• 1884 – Bismarck called the European leaders to
Berlin where he ran the BERLIN CONFERENCE
– where the Europeans divided Africa among
them. Only Ethiopia and Liberia remained free.
• Otto von Bismarck
South Africa
• 1652 – Dutch settlers start a colony on the Cape
of Good Hope in South Africa. The Europeans
were known as BOERS. Today their
descendants are called AFRIKAANERS who
speak a version of Dutch called Afrikaans.
• 1814 – the British took control of South Africa
and antagonism arose between the British and
the Boers – especially over the treatment of the
native Africans.
• The Boers/Afrikaans believed in white
supremacy and slavery.
• While the British were not without prejudice
against the native Africans – they refused to
allow slavery to continue.
• 1835 – GREAT TREK – thousands of Boers
moved deeper into the continent and away from
British control.
• Thousands of British moved to South Africa –
especially when diamonds and gold were found.
• CECIL RHODES – by 1891 controlled 90% of
the world’s diamonds. He wanted to build a
railroad from Cairo in Egypt to the Cape of Good
Hope.
• BOER WAR – problems between the Boers and
the British led to a vicious war designed to make
the British supreme in South Africa.
• Cecil Rhodes
The Zulus
• The British and the Boers had to deal with
the ZULU nation.
• The Zulus themselves wanted to control
the peoples of South Africa.
• The great Zulu leader SHAKA made the
Zulus into a fighting force that proved to be
a strong match for the Europeans.
Egypt
• The Suez Canal allowed for quick passage
between the Mediterranean Sea and the
Red Sea.
• This allowed ship to move between
Europe and Asia in a fraction of the time it
used to.
• This allowed the British to strengthen their
ties to India – making British control of
Egypt imperative.
•
Suez Canal
INDIA – THE BRITISH RAJ
• 1764 – after the Seven Years’ War – the British
gained a foothold in India for the BRITISH EAST
INDIA COMPANY.
• The British east India Company was not the
British government – but it did represent the
fortunes of much of the British ruling class.
• RAJ – the term given to the British power over
India.
Raj
• Indian Civil Service – the governmental agency
controlling thousands of British who moved to
India to run the nation.
• ORIENTALIST – British who thought they should
rule India by blending Indian culture with British.
• ANGLICIST – British who thought they should
force British culture on India – THIS SIDE WON
THE DEBATE
Changing Indian Society
• Memsahibs – term given to British women who
lived in India “civilizing” the land – but often
acting like feudal rulers.
• The end of SUTTEE – Hindu widows were
ritually burned on their husband’s funeral pyres.
The British tried to stop this.
• India was so large that many Indians were hired
to be part of the Indian government – bringing
money and education to thousands of Indians.
1857 Sepoy Rebellion/Indian Mutiny
• British rule and arrogance made the British often very
unwelcome in India.
• 1857 – Hindu and Muslim sepoys heard a rumor that pig
and cow fat was used in the cartridges used in their
rifles. This was NOT TRUE – but the sepoys believed
that the British were trying to destroy their religions and
cultures.
• The sepoys started a mutiny that led to the deaths of
thousands before the British put down the rebellion.
• The rebellion forced the BRITISH GOVERNMENT to
replace the British East India Company and take
complete control of India.
Queen Victoria – Empress of India
George V and Queen Mary in India
China
• By the early 19th century – the ancient
kingdom of China had grown weak – due
in part to:
– Weak army
– Banditry in countryside
– Corrupt civil service
– Ill maintained infrastructure
– Vastly increasing population
• The internal weakness of China and its
government left the nation open to abuse by
“foreign devils.”
• Chinese silks, porcelain and tea were highly
valued by the Europeans.
• For many years the TRADE BALANCE between
Europe and China was in China’s favor – with
large amounts of European gold and silver
entering China.
The Opium War
• The British merchants found that they could alter
the trade balance in Britain’s favor by selling
opium to the Chinese.
• Suddenly, the Chinese were buying more than
they were selling and gold and silver then left
China for Europe.
• The opium began to destroy Chinese society
and the Chinese moved to stop the importation
of opium by the Europeans.
• 1839 – Great Britain went to war with China in
order to allow British merchants to sell opium
and other products in China.
• The war ended with Britain victorious and China
in a weakened position.
• Britain received the colony of Hong Kong
• Other foreign nations saw China’s weakness
and moved in to carve out SPHERES OF
INFLUENCE.
Opium Den
Opium Den
• Queen Victoria
• 1819-1901
• r. 1837-1901
Victoria – not as pretty as her
painting!!!
China’s Internal Weakness Led to
Rebellion
• Many Chinese were appalled by their nation’s
weakness and sought to strengthen the nation by
changing the government.
• TAIPING REBELLION – Hong Xiuquan – a Chinese
mystic who claimed to be a brother of Christ – led
thousands of Chinese to rebel in the Taiping
Rebellion calling for a new dynasty of “Heavenly
Peace”
• The ruling QING DYNASTY responded by brutally
suppressing the rebellion – killing millions of
Chinese
Hong Xiuquan
TONGZHI RESTORATION
• The ruling elite tried to improve China
through a series of reforms called the
Tongzhi Restoration
– Infrastructure – dikes and canals
– Lowering farm taxes
– Modernize military
– Translate western books on law and
technology into Chinese
• Reforms were met with hostility by the
corrupt civil service and the Empress
Dowager Cixi
• Cixi “Old Buddha” – arch conservative who
feared all reform – thinking she and the
royal family would lose power
• She controlled power from behind the
scenes
Cixi
The Boxer Rebellion – “I should
have worn briefs”
• By 1900, China was unofficially administered by
Europeans, Japanese and Americans who controlled the
economy and trade.
• The Society of Harmonious Fists “Boxers” began an antiforeigner movement that led to a nationwide attack on all
foreigners in an attempt to rid China of outside
influences.
• The Boxer Rebellion was put down by foreign armies
which only subjugated China even more.
• By 1908 – Cixi was dead and China was “ruled” by a
three year old emperor.
Bismarck’s Alliance System
• Despite the bravado of the Germans,
Bismarck realized that Germany was
vulnerable to attacks from the French,
Austrians and the Russians.
• He sought to neutralize France and to
secure Germany’s position through a
series of alliance treaties designed to
make war virtually impossible.
• Three Emperors’ League 1873 – Germany,
Austria and Russia – Bismarck’s attempt
to unite the conservative empires.
• 1877 – Russo-Turkish War – led to
collapse of Three Emperors’ League when
Austria and Russia developed greater
rivalry concerning the Balkans and the
“sick man of Europe”
• Slavs in Bosnia and Herzegovina rebelled
against the Ottoman Turks – led by neighboring
Slavs in Serbia and Montenegro.
• Russia entered the fray as it attempt to use PanSlavism in order to bolster its claims in the
Balkans.
• March 1878 – Treaty of San Stefano – Ottomans
sued for peace – Russian power increased –
alarming the British due to their concern over the
Dardanelles and access to the Suez.
• Congress of Berlin 1878 – to preserve peace as
the European powers sought new territories as
the Ottoman Empire crumbled
– Bulgaria was reduced in size
– Austria-Hungary given control of Bosnia and
Herzegovina
– Great Britain received Cyprus
– France received permission to expand into Tunisia
– Balkan states not happy with land division
– The Three Emperors’ League destroyed as Tsar
Alexander II did not see Bismarck’s congress as a
way to restrain British and French fears of Russia
• 1879 – Dual Alliance –treaty between
Germany and Austria – if Russia attacked
either nation – the other would help. If a
nation other than Russia attacked – the
other would at least remain neutral. It
isolated Russia – but Bismarck doubted
that autocratic Russia would ever been
aided by democratic France and Britain. It
did tie Germany to the complexities of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• 1881 – renewal of the Three Emperors’ League
– as Russia was motivated because of the Dual
Alliance
• Triple Alliance 1882 – Italy joined the Dual
Alliance as a way to buffer possible problems
from France in Tunisia
• Reinsurance Treaty 1887 – Germany and
Russia promise to remain neutral if attacked
• Bismarck had achieved peace – isolated France
and kept Britain – which preferred not to join
alliances - neutral
• THEN……..
• 1888 – Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany died and the throne
passed to his son Frederick III
• Frederick III was married to Princess Victoria of Great
Britain – the daughter of Queen Victoria. Frederick was
dying of cancer when he became Kaiser and died a few
months later. He was succeeded by his son Kaiser
Wilhelm II.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II believed in the divine right of monarchs
and wanted an empire to rival his grandmother’s. He
listened to no one other than his grandmother. He
especially did not listen to Bismarck. 1890 he fired
Bismarck.
• “Dropping the Pilot”
• With Bismarck fired – his system of
alliances designed to prevent war
collapsed. His personal diplomacy was
replaced by Wilhelm II who had no tact or
sense of diplomacy.
• 1894 – the French and Russians – who
were political opposites – concluded an
alliance because they both feared Wilhelm
II’s Germany
Wilhelm II and Great Britain
• Wilhelm II was at the same time in awe and
jealous of his grandmother’s Great Britain. He
wanted to ally with it and yet challenge it.
• Great Britain preferred “splendid isolation” and
would not join Wilhelm II’s Triple Alliance.
Wilhelm II sought to show how important
Germany was by making trouble for Britain.
Wilhelm II only drove Britain farther from
Germany.
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Wilhelm II
• Germany openly supported the Boers in South Africa
against British rule
• Wilhelm wanted to build a navy to rival the British.
Under Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz – who stated that the
growing Germany navy was directed at Britain – the
German navy grew.
• 1898-1901 the British attempted to make a treaty with
Germany – which refused. The Germans thought the
British would never make an alliance with their ancient
enemy France- so the German believed they could get a
better deal from the British by initially refusing their
advances towards a treaty.
• Entente Cordiale 1904 – a series of
agreements settling long standing
territorial questions between the French
and the British.
• The First Moroccan Crisis – 1905 – Wilhelm II
visited Morocco and stated that Morocco should
be independent from French control. He called
for an international conference where he thought
he could demonstrate his and Germany’s world
power.
• 1906 Algeciras Conference in Spain – Austria
sided with Germany by Great Britain, the U.S.,
Spain and Italy sided with France. Britain was
pushed by Germany toward France.
• 1907 – Britain and Russia signed
agreements ending long territorial
problems. The TRIPLE ENTENTE
developed in opposition to the Triple
Alliance.
• Bismarck’s equilibrium was destroyed and
replaced by what he feared- a possible
two front war against Germany.
• Growing nationalism and Pan-Slavism in the
Balkans continued to cause problems –
especially for the Austro-Hungarians – who
controlled Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
• Serbia and other Slavs sought a united land of
south Slavs – or Yugoslavs
• 1908 – a group of reformers in the Ottoman
Empire known as YOUNG TURKS threatened to
revive the dying empire “the sick man of Europe”
– this made the Balkans dangerous – the “tinder
box of Europe”
• 1908 – the Austrians moved to officially
annex Bosnia and Herzegovina before
Turkey could develop any new power. The
Serbians were furious – this seemed to
end their hope of a united Slavic state.
• Second Moroccan Crisis 1911- the
Moroccans rebelled against the French –
Wilhelm II sent a German warship –
Panther – to Morocco to “protect
Germans”. It was seen as a provocative
move that interfered in French affairs.
• The British and French saw even more
clearly that their interests lay together
against Germany.
• 1911 – Italy attacked the Ottoman Empire in
Libya as a way to get prestige and land – the
Ottomans lost
• 1912 – inspired by the Italian victories –
Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia
attacked the Ottoman lands in Europe. The
Turks lost large amounts of land.
• 1913 – the Ottomans joined Romania, Serbia,
Greece, and Montenegro against Bulgaria – they
thought it received too much land the year
before!
• 1913 – the Austrians feared Serbian control over
Albania – an international conference sided with
Austria and created an independent Albania.
Throughout that year Serbia kept advancing into
Albania and war tensions developed with Austria
until Serbia finally withdrew.
• Austrians wanted to punish Serbia and Russians
wanted to protect the idea of their “sponsorship”
and support of the Slavs – TENSIONS!!!!!!!!
• 28 June 1914 – The heir to the AustroHungarian thrones – Archduke Franz Ferdinand
and his wife Sophie visited the capital of Bosnia
– Sarajevo. This was to demonstrate Austrian
control of the province.
• Gavrilo Princip – a member of the terrorist group
– Black Hand – shot and killed the royal couple.
He had been aided by Serbian military
intelligence.
Queen Victoria of Great Britain 1819-1883-1901
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha 1819-1861
• Victoria 1840-1901 m. Frederick III of Germany
• Edward VII of Great Britain 1841-1901-1910
– m. Princess Alexandra of Denmark
• Alice 1843-1878 m. Ludwig IV Grand Duke of Hesse
• Alfred 1844-1900 m. Grand Duchess Marie of Russia
– daughter of Alexander II
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Helena 1846-1923 m. Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Louise 1848-1939 m. the Duke of Argyll
Arthur 1850-1942 m. Princess Louise of Prussia
Leopold 1853-1884 m. Princess Helen of Waldeck
Beatrice 1857-1944 m. Prince Henry of Battenberg
Queen Victoria of Great Britain 1819-1883-1901
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha 1819-1861
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Victoria 1840-1901 m. Frederick III of Germany
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Alexandra m. Tsar Nicholas II
Marie m. Ferdinand, King of Romania
Helena 1846-1923 m. Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Louise 1848-1939 m. the Duke of Argyll
Arthur 1850-1942 m. Princess Louise of Prussia
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Maud m. Haakon, King of Norway
Alfred 1844-1900 m. Grand Duchess Marie of Russia – daughter of Tsar Alexander II
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George V of Great Britain
Alice 1843-1878 m. Ludwig IV Grand Duke of Hesse
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Sophie m. Constantine, King of Greece
Edward VII of Great Britain 1841-1901-1910 m. Princess Alexandra of Denmark
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Wilhelm II of Germany
Margaret m. Gustav VI Adolph of Sweden
Leopold 1853-1884 m. Princess Helen of Waldeck
Beatrice 1857-1944 m. Prince Henry of Battenberg
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Victoria m. Alfonse, King of Spain
July 1914
• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
brought outrage throughout Europe – except in
Serbia.
• Austria wanted to move to war with Serbia – but
as that may cause Russia to get involve don
Serbia’s behalf – Austria would not move without
Germany’s approval.
• Germany provided Austria with a “blank check”
and promised German support for a war with
Serbia.
• 28 July 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on
Serbia
• Russia mobilized its forces along it border with
Austria-Hungary and Germany.
• Germany’s plan for success was the
SCHLIEFFEN PLAN – a quick attack at France
through Belgium taking France out of the war –
then an attack at Russia.
• Before the Russians would adequately mobilize,
Germany had to implement the Schlieffen Plan.
August 1, 1914 – Germany violated Belgian
neutrality and marched toward France.
• August 4, 1914 – Great Britain declared war on
Germany.
• In the west – the war became a war of attrition –
fought in trenches in northern France and
Belgium. It took the entrance of the Americans
in the war in 1917 to move the war toward an
end.
• In the east – the Germans quickly destroyed the
poorly armed Russian army. Russian
conservatives had warned against war – fearing
that it would bring to light Russia’s industrial
backwardness and lead to revolution. They
were right.
The Russian Revolution
• The war in Europe brought to the surface long standing problems
within Russian society – the industrial, social, economic and
legislative backwardness of the Russian autocracy.
• Nicholas II in 1916 – adjourned the Duma and ruled alone. He took
personal control of the armies and made himself personally
responsible for the success of the war effort.
• Disaster from:
– Massive war casualties
– Ill prepared troops
– Food shortages
– Workers strikes
– Peasant discontent
– Demands for democracy in Russia
– Hatred of the royal family - Rasputin
• March Revolution 1917 – strikes in Petrograd
and the unwillingness of the tsar’s forces to
follow his rules led him abdicate – the royal
family was under arrest outside Petrograd.
• The new provisional government opened the
Duma – Constitutional Democrats (Cadets) were
pro-west in their leanings. The new government
was led by Alexander Kerensky. The
government maintained its treaties and stayed in
the war. Radical socialists and Marxists agitated
for further revolution.
• Mensheviks – Communists who believed
that a bourgeoisie government needed to
occur before the communist revolution
pushed for reforms. They organized the
workers into soviets.
• The Bolsheviks – the radical arm of the
Marxists – who believed that immediate
revolution was possible – led by Vladimir
Lenin – in exile in Switzerland
• November Revolution 1917 – Lenin returned to
Petrograd in October – he and Leon Trotsky
organized a coup of the provisional government
– the government was weak and unpopular –
chaos in Russia allowed the coup to succeed.
Initially, the Bolsheviks controlled only Petrograd
– but soon moved to consolidate power. March
3, 1918 – Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – the
Bolsheviks take Russia out of the war. They
move to give the Russians “Land, Peace, and
Bread”
• Until 1921, the Red Army fought the White Army
– until the Bolsheviks achieved full control.
11 November 1918 and the Treaty of
Versailles
• Inspired by U.S. President Wilson’s
Fourteen Points of peace and surrender –
the German leadership forced the Kaiser
to abdicate and flee the country. A new
republic was declared and sued for peace.
• 11 November 1918 – Armistice signed
outside Paris – war ended
• Big Four meet at Paris Peace Conference
and develop Treaty of Versailles
– United Kingdom – Prime Minister David Lloyd
George
– Italy – President Victor Orlando
– France- Premier Georges Clemenceau
– U.S. – President Woodrow Wilson
• The Allies – aside from the U.S. – were
determined to use the peace conference as a
way to punish Germany beyond tradition.
• Germany and the U.S.S.R. excluded from the
conference
• Provisions:
– League of Nations established
– German colonies given to the allies
– Ottoman lands other than Turkey – given as
mandates to the French and British
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Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
The Rhineland area of Germany demilitarized
Saar Valley coal mines given to France for 15 years
German army limited to 100,000 men – no war
planes, tanks, submarines, etc.
– Austria-Hungary divided into:
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Austria
Hungary
Czechoslovakia
Yugoslavia
• Russian land taken to create:
– Finland
– Estonia
– Latvia
– Lithuania
– Poland – along with land from Germany and
Austria
• Reparations – Germany forced to admit that it
caused the war and therefore had to pay the
allies for their losses. The British and French
demanded heavy payments by the Germans –
so they could use the money to repay the
Americans for their own war debts.
• Economist JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES saw that
this would destroy Germany and destroy the
future of Europe – The Economic Consequences
of the Peace. He was correct.