World War One

IR 120: History of IR since 1648

Md. Sohel Rana
Lecturer
Department of International Relations
Bangladesh University of Professionals
 Major Events from 1815-1914?
 Industrial Revolution (1750-1850):
 The Industrial Revolution refers to the era in which economic
production shifted from the use of hand tools to the use of power
machinery.
 The process took place between 1750 and 1850, mostly in Great
Britain. It soon spread from England to Western Europe, Eastern
Europe and the rest of the world.
 The mechanization of production offered immense increase in
productivity and economic output, thus laying the ground work for
modern industrial society.
 While it created a huge impoverished and exploited working class,
it made the rich more richer.

 The Revolution & The People’s Spring (1830-1848):

 With the emphasis of the ideas of ‘liberalism’ and ‘nationalism’,
revolution once again occurred in France in the 1830s and 1840s
and later spread in all over Europe.
 Major Events from 1815-?
 The Revolution & The People’s Spring (1830-1848):
 In July 1830, The French King Charles X moved towards absolutist
regime once again and the citizens responded with protest and
resistance. The King was overthrown by the uprising and the event
was known as ‘July Uprising’.
Word of ‘July Uprising’ spread throughout Europe and similar
uprisings took place in Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal,
Belgium and Poland.
 Economic recession, food shortage, and devastation in potato crop
in the 1840s caused popular unrest in France and resistance by
police action turned the event more violent.
 Due to miserable conditions, popular revolts and revolutions
occurred all over Europe in 1848 and millions of people were killed
in famine as well as by government’s repression. Monarchies were
overthrown and national independence were declared in France,
Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Germany, Italy and elsewhere. The
year in Europe is sometimes called as ‘The People’s Spring’.
 Major Events from 1815-?
 The Unifications of Italy and Germany (1860-70):
 During the Crimean War (1853-1856), which was caused by
Russian claims over Ottoman Turkish territory and particularly the
Dardanelles straits in the Black Sea and fought between Britain,
France, Turkey and Russia in Crimea, the Italian state of Sardinia
fought against Russia and won.
 After the war, Italian rulers concentrated on unifying a dozen
Italian states which were divided and ruled by other European
powers like Austria and France. In 1859, Sardinia along with
France’s support invaded Austria and unified large Italian
territories which were taken away. In 1861, all Italian states
parliaments were convened and 1870 Italy occupied Italian
territories under France to accomplish unification.
 Bismark of Prussia had the same visions to strengthen the position
of Prussia in Germany and Germany in Europe through unification
of German states under a new German Confederation. To do that,
he launched a series of war against Denmark, Austria, France and
seized the territories which Germany lost in 1648 and 1815.
 Major Events from 1815-1914?
 The Imperialist Expansions (1870-1914):
 Imperialism can be defined as a process by which one state, with
superior military and technological strength, imposes its control
over the land, resources and population of a less developed region.
 During the age of imperialism, more than a quarter of the land
surface of the Earth was claimed by only 6 European states: 7% in
1500, 35% in 1800 and 84% in 1914.
 The growth in both production and demand in Europe stimulated
by the Industrial Revolution led the European states to go for
economic expansion in colonies through imperialist aggression.
The primary motives were to capture raw materials, cheap labor,
new markets and new industry.
 The Scramble of Africa, which left only Ethiopia and Liberia, and
the colonization of Asia, which left only Japan and Thailand,
offered the European states to occupy the most part of the earth.
 The imperialist aggression also caused a number of alliances and
wars among the European states and instilled hostility which later
turned into the World War I.
 The World in 1914
 European Powers as World Leaders:
 Major decisions for the world were taken by the European states
as the most advanced nations of the world.
 Germany was the leading power both militarily and economically,
surpassed Britain in iron and steel production and put aside
France, Belgium, Italy and Austria-Hungary.
 Russian industry was expanding but it was not in a position to
challenge neither Britain nor Germany.
 Outside Europe, USA produced more iron, steel and coal than
either Britain or Germany and ranked as world power.
 Japan modernized itself and developed one of the largest navy in
the world.
 Imperialist Expansion Continued:
 The imperial quest by the European powers continued which required to
build and maintain larger navies to rule the overseas colonies.
 This expansion turned into aggression since increasing military strength
of one country eventually threatens others in the competition.
 The World in 1914
 Divided Europe in Alliances:
 The desire of expansion, fear of losing position and becoming
more powerful led the European powers to form alliances which
created further hostility and caused the war.
 Triple Alliance --- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.
 The Triple Entente --- Britain, France and Russia.
 The two groups sometimes known as ‘armed camps’ brought
Europe on the verge of war.

 Political Systems of the World Powers:

 Democratic form of government --- USA, Britain & France
[decisions of war MUST be passed through the parliament].
 Monarchy --- Germany, Italy & Japan [although lower house as
parliament existed but the ultimate power (e.g. authority to declare
war) lied at the hands of Emperor or Prime Minister].
 Autocratic ruler --- Russia & Austria-Hungary [although
parliament existed, the rulers could easily ignore the parliament
(and declare war)].
 The World in 1914
 Worrying Factors in a Hot World:
 Naval rivalry among European powers, particularly between
Germany and Britain [influenced by imperialist expansion and
Mahan’s thesis].
 French resentment at losing Alsace-Lorrain region to Germany in
the Franco-Prussian war 1871 and fear of a powerful Germany as
neighbor.
 Germany’s resentment at the encirclement of Germany by Britain,
Russia and France through forging alliances.
 Russia’s suspicions of Austria’s ambitions in the Balkan regions
[abode of millions of Russians and close to the Dardanelles straits
in the Black Sea].
 Inspired by the Enlightenment sense of nationalism, Serbians
aimed at uniting all Serbs and Croats under one nation. Many of
whom lived under the Austria-Hungarian Empire [if Serbs’ desire
came true, other nationalities in Europe would follow the suit;
Austrians decided to destroy Serbia before the latter does the
same].
The World in 1914
 Events Caused the Outbreak of the War
 Anglo-Russian Alliance (1907):
 Although Britain and Russia saw one another as enemy for years,
the Russian defeat by Japan in 1905 led Britain and Russia form an
alliance in 1907.
 It was not a military alliance nor an anti-German move but
Germany viewed that as a policy of encircling Germany by Britain,
France and Russia located at three different sides of Germany.
 The Bosnian Crisis (1908):
 The Austrians annexed the Turkish province of Bosnia which was
a deliberate blow to Serbia, hoping to take Bosnia because of 3
millions Serbs lived in Bosnia.
 Serbia asked help from Russia but Russia along with Germany
and France refused to call fearing Germany’s support to Austria.
 This event made Serbia bitterly hostile to Austria and it was this
hostility which led the outbreak of the war.
 Events Caused the Outbreak of the War
 The Balkan Wars (1912-13):
 The First Balkan War (1912): Between Serbia, Greece, Montenegro,
Bulgaria and Turkey to capture their territories from Asian power.
 The Second Balkan War (1913): Between Bulgaria and Serbia,
Greece, Romania, Turkey to capture Macedonia.
 The Serbia’s gains from the wars made it confident enough to
unify Serbs and Croats living in Austria-Hungary and the
Austrians were equally determined to put an end to Serbia’s
ambitions.
 The Assassination of Austrian Prince Ferdinand
(1914):
 While the Austrian Archduke, nephew and heir to the Emperor,
Ferdinand was paying an official visit with his wife in Bosnian
capital Sarajevo; they were shot dead by a Serb nationalist (or
terrorist) Gavrilo Princip.
 The incident led Austria declare war against Serbia who sought help
from Russia. When Russia ordered mobilization of troops along the
Serbian border, Germany declared war on Russia and later on
France.
 World War I
 Timeline: July 28, 1914- November 11,
1918.

 Other Names:
 First Modern War;
 First Total War;
 Great War;
 War to End All Wars;
 World War I
 Casualties of War
 World War I
 War Parties:
 Allied Powers VS Central Powers.
 World War I
 War Parties:
 World War I
 Catalyst: The Assassination of Franz
Ferdinand and His Wife.
 World War I
 Catalyst: The Assassination of Franz
Ferdinand and His Wife.

 Gavrilo
Princip
 Causes of the War
 Nationalism

 Bosnia-
Herzegovina
 Causes of the War
 Imperialism
 Causes of the War
 Imperialism
 Causes of the War
 Alliance System
 Triple Alliance, 1882.
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
 Triple Entente, 1907.
Britain
Russia
France
 Causes of the War
 Alliance System
 Causes of the War
 Alliance System
 Causes of the War
 Militarism
 Causes of the War
 Militarism
 Battle Plans
FRANCE
 Attack on South-Western Parts to Regain Alsace and
Loraine from Germany.
 Battle Plans
RUSSIA
 Attack on Prussia and Austria to Weaken the Enemy in
the East and South-East.
 Battle Plans
Germany
 Schlieffen Plan:
Russia would take at least six weeks to
get its army ready for war.
France would be easily defeated in six
weeks.
Belgium would not resist any German
attack.
USA would take one year to get ready
for war, by then Germany would fight
in only one front (Russia).
 Battle Plans
Austria-Hungary
 Plan B:
Plan B (for Balkans) to invade Serbia
as well as resist Russian forces to turn
away the attack.
 Plan R:
Plan R (for Russia), essentially revised
Plan B, to guard against Russian
assistance for the Serbs.
 Big Powers’ Entry
 Britain Entered into the War, 1914:
German Attack on Belgium.
Treaty of London, 1839.

 Italy Entered into the War, 1915:

Used Provision of Triple Alliance.
Sided with Allied Powers to Gain
Lands Austria-Hungary.
 Big Powers’ Entry
 USA Entered into the War, 1917:
The British Passenger Ship Lusitania
was sunk by a German Submarine, killed
1200 Passengers Including 128
Americans.
German Telegram to Mexico to Fight
with Germany against USA.
USA Came out of the Monroe Doctrine
(1823) and Declared War against
Germany in 1917.
Treaty of Versailles
 Consequences of the War
 Social Consequences:
Total Casualties – 37.5 Million.
The world was left with hatred,
intolerance and extreme nationalism.
Spanish Flu (1918) took away 50
millions lives.
 Consequences of the War
 Economic Consequences:
Total Cost of War – over $350 Billions.
It increased taxes and decreased
standard of living in Europe.
International trade suffered as nations
raised tariffs on imports and exports.
Great Depression (1920s).
 Consequences of the War
 Political Consequences:
The Fall of Empire.
Russian Revolution 1917 and
Communists Rise in Russia.
USA emerged as world power.
The League of Nations to solve
international problems
The Rise of Extremism – Fascism and
Nazism.
 Further Readings
1. The First World War: A Very Short
Introduction, by Michael Howard, Oxford
University Press, 2002.
2. History of the World War, by Francis A.
March & Richard J. Beamish.
3. The Origins of World War I, by Samuel R.
Williamson, Jr, The Jornal of Interdisciplinary
History, Vol 18, No. 4, pp 795-818.
4. Depth Study ‘World War 1’, Oxford Big ideas
History 9: Australian Curriculum.