Chapter 17: The First World War

17.85 : The International Anarchy

The Road to War

1871 1888 1894 1904 1914

German Empire begins-France loses

Alsace and

Lorraine

Wilhelm II crowned Kaiser

-Drops the Pilot (1890)

Nicholas II crown Tsar of Russia

Russo-Japanese

War

Bloody Sunday (St. Petersburg

British launch first "dreadnought" class

battleship (1906)

Dual Alliance (1879)

League of the Three Emperors

(1872)

Gravril Princeps & the Black

Hand

Three Emperors League (1872)• Treaty between Kaiser William I of

Germany, Czar Alexander II of Russia and Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria

• Bismarck's aim for forming this League was to isolate France

• agreed to– maintain the existing territorial

arrangements in Europe– to resist the spread of revolutionary

(e.g. socialist) movements– to consult one another if any

international difficulties arose• A weak alliance:

– rivalry between Austria and Russia over the Balkan Peninsula

The Congress of Berlin 1878• Rivalry between Austria and Russia in the

Balkans came to a head in 1877-78. • In 1875, five Balkan states revolted against

the Turkish rule. Russia supported Balkan states and defeated Turkey

• On March 8, 1878, Turkey forced to sign the Treaty of San Stefano,– created an independent, Big Bulgaria

• Bulgaria would be a Russian puppet, • Austria intervened, backed up by Britain • Bismarck volunteered to act as an "honest

broker" • Germany sided with Austria and Britain

– Russia had to give up the Treaty of San Stefano and sign the Treaty of Berlin

– Split Bulgaria into three parts• Bulgarian Proper • Eastern Rumelia and Macedonia were to be

ruled under Turkish sovereignty.) • Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austrian military

occupation (but not annexation). • Russia felt diplomatically humiliated

– turned against Bismarck

Dual Alliance (1879-1918)• Germany sided with Austria• Unable to maintain friendly relations with both

Austria and Russia, Bismarck allied with Austria – preferred a weaker partner which could be

more easily controlled– would throw open the Danube valley to

German trade– had racial ties with Germany– would enable Germany to exercise

influence in the Balkans– alliance with Russia would antagonize

Britain • terms of the Dual Alliance

– support the other militarily until the end of the war if attacked by Russia

– agreed to remain neutral if her ally was attacked by a power other than Russia

– Later adds Italy (Triple Alliance)

Second Three Emperors' League (1881)• Bismarck still wanted to keep Russian friendship

after the signing of Dual Alliance (1879) with Austria

• Czar Alexander III ascended the Russian throne after the assassination of Alexander II.

• renewal of the Three Emperors' League of 1872 which promised to suppress the revolutionary movements

• terms of the League were– Balkans was to be divided into two spheres

of influence– western Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

belonged to Austria – eastern Balkans (Bulgaria) belonged to

Russia– the three Emperors agreed to consult one

another if there was another Balkan crisis, • could not last long because Austria and Russia

would soon rival over the Balkan Peninsula again

Reinsurance Treaty 1887-1890

• Bismarck secretly made a treaty with Russia without informing Austria.

• Russia and Germany would observe neutrality towards each other if either became involved in war with a third power, except if Germany attacked France or if Russia attacked Austria-Hungary

• Bismarck’s goal– Prevent two front war– Wilhelm II refused to renew treaty

Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)• Wilhelm’s rash decision

not to renew Reassurance Treaty pushed Russia into arms of France

• France gave loans, arms, and friendship

• MATT GOLDSTEIN IS A GENIUS

• Military alliance formed to block attack of Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria, Italy

End of Splendid Isolation• Who would GB support?• Felt “natural alliance” with Germany

(Angles & Saxons)• Yet tensions began to rise b/t GB and

Germany after 1890• Wilhelm II = Diplomatic Dope

– Kruger Telegram (1896)• "I express to you my sincere

congratulations that, without appealing to the help of friendly Powers, you and your people have succeeded in repelling with your own forces the armed bands which had broken into your country, and in maintaining the independence of your country against foreign aggression."

• Message sent following Transvaal’s victory against British Jameson Raid (1895)

– Announced plan to build large navy

• GB realized that it was becoming isolated and hated (Fashoda, Boer War)

Triple Entente• Anglo-French Entente (1904)

– was a close understanding (entente cordiale) in 1904

– British and French governments come to terms over differences in 1904

– British control of Egypt is recognized by France

– French presence in North Africa is recognized by England

– Not an alliance (didn’t say what they would do if war came)

• Anglo-Russian Agreement (1907)– 1907 a humiliated Russia (defeated by

Japan) is agreeable to relations with England– British recognized Russian sphere of

influence in the north of Persia– Russians recognized a British sphere in the

south and east

First Moroccan Crisis (1905)• France obtained protectorate control of

Morocco in 1904• In 1905, Germany announced its support of

independence for Morocco – Kaiser William II made a speech from

warship Tangier to Moroccans and supported their independence against the French

– Wilhelm wanted to test the Entente– tactic to drive a wedge b/t France and England

• Both France and Germany called up reserve troops and began to mobilized

• Algeciras Conference (1906)– At conference at Algeria (1906) France backed by

Britain, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the United States

• Germany’s only friend is Austria

Bosnian Crisis (1908)• Secret agreement between Austria and Russia

– Austria would take Bosnia– Russia would take Straits

• Austria quickly annexes Bosnia• Serbia is furious (wanted Bosnia itself)

– Wanted Slavic Bosnia

– Serbia threatened war on Austria-Hungary

• Russia backs down after GB and France condemn action

• Russia had pledged their support to Serbia, so they began to mobilize, which caused Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, to threaten war on Russia

• World War I was postponed when Russia backed down,

• relations between Austria- Hungary and Serbia were greatly strained

Austria and Bulgaria rip up the Ottoman Empire: the Bosnian Crisis, 1908

Two Balkan Wars• First Balkan War (1912)

– Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece joined in and took Macedonia from the Ottomans

– Serbs wanted Kosovo– Bulgars claimed more of

Macedonia than was acceptable to Serbia

• Second Balkan War (1913) – Austria, Serbia (Russia), and

Greece squabble over Albania (Muslim) and attack Bulgaria

• Austria was determined to keep Serbia land locked

• Albania became “Independent”• Serbs were frustrated• Russians were humiliated again

1879The Dual Alliance

                                       

Germany and Austria-Hungary made an alliance to protect themselves from

Russia

1881Austro-Serbian Alliance

                                    

Austria-Hungary made an alliance with Serbia to stop Russia gaining control of

Serbia

1882The Triple Alliance

                                       

 Germany and Austria- Hungary made an alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking

sides with Russia

1914Triple Entente (no separate peace)

                                    

Britain, Russia and France agreed not to sign for peace separately.

                                                          

                            

1894Franco-Russian Alliance

                                    

 Russia formed an alliance with France to protect herself against Germany and

Austria-Hungary

1907Triple Entente

                                       

 This was made between Russia, France and Britain to counter the increasing

threat from Germany.

1907Anglo-Russian Entente

                                       

This was an agreement between Britain and Russia

1904Entente Cordiale

                                       

This was an agreement, but not a formal alliance, between France and Britain.

Top

 

Europe on the Eve of War, June 1914

Russia, Aus-Hun, Ottoman Emp. vie for control of Balkans

Russian, Germany,

GB, France

compete for empire

Germany competes with

GB’s naval supremacy

Germany’s militarism threatens France and

Russia

Malignant nationalism grows in

Serbia

The Sarajevo Crisis and the Outbreak of War• The Assassination at Sarajevo• 6/28/14 a Bosnian revolutionary

assassinated Hapsburg Archduke Francis Ferdinand (Heir to the Austrian throne)

• Member of Serbian secret society called Union of Death or Black Hand

• Ferdinand was known to favor more equality for the Serbs

• But reformers who made the system work are the most dangerous to revolutionaries who want total change

• Austria retaliates to end Slav nationalism

Germany “Blank Check”• Germany gave its blessing

(Blank Check)• Austria consulted with

Germany to see how far it could go

• Germany issued “blank check” and encouraged them to be firm

• Austria issued an ultimatum to Serbia

• Demanded that it lead the investigation in Serbia and punish the perpetrators

• Serbia claimed a violation of sovereignty and rejected the ultimatum

• Knew that Russia would not allow its further loss of influence in the Balkans

• Russia counted on France which gave Russia a blank check

Germany “Blank Check”• Austria declared war on Serbia• Russia mobilized against Austria

and Germany• The first nation to mobilize had

advantage of rapid offense• Germany demanded Russia end

its mobilization but got no answer• Declared war on Russia and

France on Aug. 1 and 3 1914• Britain was evasive at first and on

8/4/14 declared war on Germany• Matt Goldstein is a genius• Had Germany known that British

would fight the whole war may have been avoided

• But Germany should have known that England would fight, especially after Belgium was invaded

• Violated treaty of neutrality of 1839

Causes of WWI• The alliance system

– Based on living in fear of war– Any given incident or crisis (German

intervention in Morocco, assassination of Archduke) could not be settled by the primary parties

• German militarism/encirclement– Feared war with both France and Russia– Forced to support Austria– 1887 began to compete with British navy

• Dreadnought (1906)– “Place in the Sun” diminishing

• Made Germany aggressive – British ends “splendid isolation”

• Makes Germany feel encircled• Balance of Power upset

– German strength– Threatened France– Forced France to support Russia

Causes of WWI• Russian and Austrian weakness and desperation

– Both were tottering empires– Russian revolutionaries weaken empire– Austrian nationalistic agitation weaken

empire– Each had little to lose and were reckless

• Ethnic & Social Tensions– Aggressive nationalism made each nation

believe that theirs was the right cause– Flamed by Nation-States

• Molded public opinion, created traditions• Flags, national anthems, uniforms• France resurrected Bastille Day in 1880

– Social Democrats unrepresented in German government

• War used as a means to distract the masses

• Zeitgeist– Social Darwinism – Authors like Nietche glorified struggle

The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.

Friedrich Nietzsche

German philosopher (1844 - 1900)