The Road to World War One 1 Warfare is the Agent of Historic Change Recorded history begins at approximately 3,500 B.C. Prior to that everything is called Pre- Historic 3,500 BC 2018 AD (5,518 Years) Approximately 200 years of peace Technology improves the quality of weapons People become more aggressive 2 Ancient History The most violent century in the history of the world? The Twentieth Century! 3 1
World War I Battle Deaths = 53,402 World War II Battle Deaths = 291,557 4 Ancient Warriors 5 The Nine Principles of War The Modern Warrior of the 21 st Century 6 2
The 19 th Century View of the World Eurocentric Rule by the Empires British German (2 nd Reich) Austro-Hungarian (Hapsburg s) Russian (Romanov s) Ottoman Turks ( Sick Man of Europe ) 7 19 th Century Key Events Napoleonic Wars Nationalism and Revolution Strike Across Europe (1848) Germany Emerges as a Major European Power (Franco-Prussian War) Europe Industrializes (Britain Leads) Germany is second to England while France falls behind Powder Keg of the Balkans Simmers 8 Development of Alliances (Defensive in Nature) Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance (E)ngland (A)ustria Hungary France Russia Germany Italy (Allies) vs. (Central Powers) 9 3
End of World War One Eurocentric Emergence of Bi-Polar Powers (US Russia) (Completed by the end of World War Two) Rule by the Empires British (Weakened) German (2 nd Reich) (Gone) Austro-Hungarian (Hapsburgs) (Gone) Russian (Gone Communist) Ottoman Turks ( Sick Man of Europe ) (Gone) 10 German Empire Wilhelm II Ottoman Empire Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Joseph Russian Empire Nicholas II British Empire George V Czechoslovakia Poland Austria Hungary Yugoslavia Syria Iraq Jordan Lithuania Latvia Estonia 11 1. International Anarchy Every nation can do what is pleased or dared. There is no international government. Nations could be lawless armed quite well. International Conferences Berlin / London / Paris Hague (Set up International Court 1899) 12 4
2. Territorial Disputes France Prussia (Germany) Italy Austria-Hungary Balkans Austria / Russia / Turkey (Bulgaria / Romania) 13 3. Neo - Mercantilism Government protection and promotion for business activities of citizens. Protective tariffs. Chinese Opium War (1839 1842) M.Q.: What did the British get as a result of this war? Hong Kong! 14 4. National Honor Each nation state should be absolutely sovereign. Each nation state should not submit to any form of outside control. Duty to serve fight for country Extreme Patriotism My country right or wrong 15 5
5. Scientific Justification of War War is a good thing victory of the strong countries over the weak Survival of the fittest -- Darwin s Theory Kipling The White Man s Burden 16 6. Militarism Keeping large armies ready for war. Prussia s successes led to other nations to adopt systems of universal military training (Austria, France, Japan, Russia, Italy) Believed that own army was for DEFENSE neighbors army was for attack! 17 7. Navalism Keeping large navies ready for war. 1905 H.M.S. Dreadnought Arms race launched for naval supremacy Germany begins to build a fleet Kiel Canal 18 6
Root Causes of World War One 8. Secret Diplomacy Ministers and Ambassadors of various governments made secret agreements that were never made public. Necessitated the need to fight not just their own wars but those of their allies. Greater chance for war -- International crisis in 1905, 1908, 1911, 1912-1913 19 Secret Diplomacy Bismarck s Diplomacy (1860 1890) Triple Alliance (1882) Franco - Russian Alliance (1892) Anglo - French Entente (1904) Anglo Russian Entente (1907) Japan s Position (Alliance with England) Italy s Position (Secret arrangements with France -- Gain territory in Africa) Maintain a Balance of Power in Europe? 20 7