World War I was caused by long-term antagonisms between European powers and short-term events like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. It began as a limited regional war but grew into a global conflict as more countries joined in. The war became a stalemate as new military technologies led to trench warfare and unprecedented casualties. By 1917-1918, new players like the US entered the war and sought to end the conflict through negotiations, but the fighting continued until Germany's defeat in late 1918.
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World War I was caused by long-term antagonisms between European powers and short-term events like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. It began as a limited regional war but grew into a global conflict as more countries joined in. The war became a stalemate as new military technologies led to trench warfare and unprecedented casualties. By 1917-1918, new players like the US entered the war and sought to end the conflict through negotiations, but the fighting continued until Germany's defeat in late 1918.
World War I was caused by long-term antagonisms between European powers and short-term events like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. It began as a limited regional war but grew into a global conflict as more countries joined in. The war became a stalemate as new military technologies led to trench warfare and unprecedented casualties. By 1917-1918, new players like the US entered the war and sought to end the conflict through negotiations, but the fighting continued until Germany's defeat in late 1918.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
World War I was caused by long-term antagonisms between European powers and short-term events like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. It began as a limited regional war but grew into a global conflict as more countries joined in. The war became a stalemate as new military technologies led to trench warfare and unprecedented casualties. By 1917-1918, new players like the US entered the war and sought to end the conflict through negotiations, but the fighting continued until Germany's defeat in late 1918.
Copyright:
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Pre - war : progress , technology , prosperity Fin de siècle New artistic directions Art Deco , Art Nouveau Railway unrestricted travel Real globalization , trade , cultural exchange
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
A scientific and technological revolution Science as applied science = a practical discipline Turning points : New materials New manufacturing processes New energy sources HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin A new phenomenon : Chemistry : Organic chemicals Synthetic materials Fertilizer Pharmaceuticals Explosives Electronics
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
Water turbine Water - driven power stations Steam turbine Modifications and improvements to car engine ( Diesel , Daimler , Benz , Ford )
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
Accumulation of capital : By reinvesting a portion of profits as capital expenditure Through mergers and acquisitions Through hostile takeovers ( a consequence of intensifying competition ) HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin Production concentrated into large enterprises ( first in heavy industry ) Rise of monopolies Monopolies dictate market size ; production volumes ; price points Between 1870 and 1900 : a shift from free competition to monopolistic capitalism HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin Types of monopolies : Cartels ( independent businesses make an agreement on prices , target markets , production volumes ) Syndicates ( separate production ; joint sales & marketing ) Trusts ( former owners now acting as shareholders ; business run by a Board of Trustees ) Conglomerates ( a mixture of several businesses , not necessarily related , linked together by banks )
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
Rise of banking as an industry The Fed ! Extending loans to newly - formed monopolies Confluence of industrial and banking capital “ financial capital ” Financial tycoons adopting prominent leadership positions in government , society
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
Exporting capital Key players: USA, Britain, France, partly Germany “New partitioning” of the world: Traditional colonial powers (Britain, France, Russia) vs. neo-colonial players (USA, Germany, Italy – economically relatively advanced countries but with minor colonial holdings) Profits reinvested in third countries Particularly under-developed locales – colonies and central/eastern/southern Europe Banks not only provide loans but actively enter into business in these countries Capitalizing on cheap labour / raw materials, local demand Investments into local industry, transport tend to position recipient countries in a state of dependence This exacerbates gaps among the world’s different regions 3150 Shehzad Martin HIST A new phenomenon : The road to WWI : Politics Minor conflicts among colonial powers (Britain vs. France over Upper Nile River; Britain and Netherlands over South Africa; Britain vs. Russia over Persia, Afghanistan; all working to penetrate the China market) Ongoing Franco-German tension 1873: a pact of three Emperors (Austria-Hungary, Russia, Germany) aiming to isolate France Britain pursuing a policy of “splendid isolation”
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
The Balkans : “a barrel of gunpowder ” – “the Eastern problem” Russia supporting anti-Ottoman struggle, based on cultural, linguistic, religious (Orthodox ) solidarity Russia’s expansionism producing anxiety among Germany, Austria, Britain 1878: Bismarck’s Congress of Berlin; objective: to curtail Russia’s influence in the Balkans Bosnia and Herzegovina occupied by Austro-Hungarian army Serbia, Montenegro, Romania gained independence from Ottoman rule Nonetheless, long-term stability in the Balkans proved elusive (ethnic, religious , linguistic heterogeneity) Turkey continuing a policy of expansion: 1st Balkan War (1911); 2nd Balkan War (1913) HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin Pacifism Early 20th century: War considered an “inhuman, pointless, immoral and outmoded approach to conflict resolution” Haag 1899: 1st international conference on disarmament; Haag convention banning the use of poisonous substances in warfare International Court of Justice established in Haag – resolving conflicts through negotiation and compromise 1907: 2nd Haag conference Stockholm 1910: Peace conference, promoting peaceful solutions, involvement of scientists Nobel Peace Prize! Basel 1912: Congress of the 2nd Internationale: “A War on War” (after 1914, the socialists abandoned pacifict ideas and were swayed by nationalism and chauvinism) HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin A new phenomenon : Causes : Antagonism among European powers Militarism – growing size and organization of the military ; conscription systems Traditional ‘ tectonic stress ’ points : Roman Catholic vs . Orthodox spheres of influence Nationalism; fragmentation of multi - ethnic empires ( e . g . Austro - Hungary , Ottoman Empire ) New geopolitical realities , primarily a unified ( since 1871 ) Germany A war that no one wanted yet everyone joined
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
A new phenomenon : Causes ( cont ’ d ): A cluster of long - term and short - term forces Economic and political imperialism – the world divided into hostile blocs Nationalism and chauvinism ( Germany : pangermanism) Militarism Von Clausewitz : war as “ politics by any other means ” Government , military , industry Propaganda ( the press ); psychological warfare ( justifying the fatalities ) HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin A new phenomenon : 28 June 1914 : a pretext Franz Ferdinand d ’ Este attending military exercises near the Serbian border ( seen as a provocation ) Gavrilo Princip – “ Young Bosnia ”, links to “ Black Hand ” By August , all major European powers had joined the war Central Powers ( Germany / Austria - Hungary / Ottoman Empire ) vs . the Allies ( Britain , France , Russia , Italy ) Illusion of a Great War – heroism , sacrifice HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin Phase I ( 1914 – 1915 ) Initially, only six countries took part Objective: settle old scores 19th-century-style war: short, offensive; Blitzkrieg Germany planned to conquer France via Belgium; then Russia; and isolate Britain By September, German troops 60 km from Paris Then counter-offensive by the Allies on the river Marne New war fronts opening in eastern Europe, Middle East (Black Sea, Caucasus, Mesopotamia) Reality: Blitzkrieg turned into Sitzkrieg (trench war) Frontlines stretching for hundreds of miles HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin Phase II ( 1915 – 1916 ) Protracted , entrenched conflict without a clear outcome Staggering losses ( up to 1 , 000 , 000 men per battle ) Growing resistance to war ; exhaustion setting in for local economies Quartet : Austro - Hungary , Germany , Bulgaria , Turkey February 1916 : battle of Verdun ( German offensive in France ) June 1916 : battle of Somme ( British / French counter - offensive ) Neither produced a decisive shift in the war 1916 , Franz Joseph dies after 68 years on the throne HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin A new phenomenon : Total war (affected all citizens) World war (34 countries) 70 million men, of whom 10 million were killed and 20 million suffered permanent injuries (paradoxically, the 1918 flu epidemic turned out to be much more devastating in terms of the number of casualties) Militarization of the economy Growing state interventionism Industrialized killing New military technology
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
A new phenomenon : Phase III ( 1917 – March 1918 ) Germany shifting to submarine warfare; attacking Allied as well as neutral (US) targets USA under President Woodraw Wilson putting an end to its isolationist policy; 1917 entering WWI The US wanted the Allies to win, so that they can start repaying debts Attempts to bring the war to an end: British PM Lloyd George speaking of “Germany suffering a swift defeat” US President Wilson urging warring parties to articulate their goals in the conflict January 8, 1918: Wilson declared 14 points – conditions for ending the war (idealism – “a just peace”; in reality: winner takes all) E.g. peoples’ right to self-determination and sovereignty; democracy and freedom Minorities residing in Austria-Hungary encouraged to declare independence from the monarchy HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin A new phenomenon : March 3, 1918: Russia and Germany signed a peace treaty at Brest-Litevsk Russia lost Finland, the Baltics, a chunk of Poland/Ukraine/Belarus) Still, by spring 1918 the outcome of the war had not been decided Germany launching new offensives Summer 1918: US troops intervene; second battle of Marne Germany in retreat October/November 1918: capitulation of Central Powers: First Bulgaria/Turkey; after losing in Italy, Austria- Hungary accepted Wilson’s 14 points October 28, 1918: birth of Czechoslovakia November 3, 1918: Austria-Hungary capitulated; followed by Germany on November 11 (signed in a railway car in Compiegne)
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin Long - term ramifications : Radicalization of the proletariat, especially in countries that had lost the war (Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy) Postwar demilitarization of industry resulted in large-scale unemployment Abortive Bolshevik-style revolutions Birth of Communist parties (radical left wing separating from social democrats) Anti-colonialist, pro-independence movement in India, Middle East Four monarchies were obliterated (Russia, Austria- Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Germany) a destabilizing effect
HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin
Long - term ramifications (cont’d): Austria-Hungary lost territory not only to Czechoslovakia but also to Poland, Romania, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (from 1929 Yugoslavia), and Italy (North) Role of USA greatly boosted = = end of Europe’s hegemony Financial powers = the real winners of the war (USA, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands) Europe’s balance of power destroyed Rise of non-European nations” Japan, China, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India Erosion of traditional lifestyles, moral values 1920: League of Nations (predecessor of the UN; USA a non-member, reverting to isolationism) HIST 3150 Shehzad Martin