LONG-TERM CAUSES OF THE WAR

NATIONALISMhad been a major factor in European culture for 100 years or morehelped to define nation-statesused as a device to disguise or treat society’s problems

GERMAN realpolitickwith its unification, Germany sought to assert its place in Europecentral location—feared two-front war, sought continental hegemony to balance British and French international empires

THE SYSTEM OF ALLIANCES BETWEEN NATIONSalliances demanded that nations enter into wars outside of their makingreliance on rail schedules further cemented this

DECLINE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, late 1800s onward

European involvement in Ottoman affairs only grew during this timeRussians defending Slavic interestsAustria taking border territoriesBritain and France managing financial affairs

In response, the Young Turks forced reforms overthrow of the sultanconstitutional reformsmodernization of industry and military (using German advisors)Turkification of minorities (as a means of mitigating fragmentation)

Nobody cares about trench foot! (or any other details of Western Front combat)

Here’s what we do care about, though…

the “home front”: a nation’s entire population and economy was turned toward the war effort

women and minorities in the labor forcerationing of suppliesgovernmental regulation of the economic sectorincorporation of colonial peoples into the army

the role of technologyhigher casualties: machine guns, airplanes, poison gas, tanks, medicineintegration of non-military technology into the war effort

impact on imperial systemBritain and France take German coloniesJapan increases its imperial sway over ChinaBritain and France gain influence over Ottoman territories in the Middle East

MAIN EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR ONE, BY REGION:

WESTERN EUROPE: few changes to the map, but failure to resolve the issues underlying the conflict

EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Revolution and civil war, establishment of new nations such as Poland

MIDDLE EAST: breakup of Ottoman Empire, establishment of new states (such as Greece and Turkey) and mandates (Br- and Fr-controlled territories in Middle East)

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: hardship caused by war effort, greater calls for independence

SOUTH ASIA: hardship caused by war effort, greater calls for independence (Gandhi)

EAST ASIA: weakening of China and growth of its civil war; increased Japanese hegemony and imperialism in the region

Before World War One

After WW1

Br mandatesFr mandates

After WW1

Balkan independence

OttomanAustro-HungarianRussianGerman

they went from imperial controlto administration under the mandatesystem via the League of Nations

unable to establish an overseas empire, it sought to dominate mainland Europe

this group sought to reform Ottoman policies, growing more conservative over the course of the century

nationalismGerman expansionismthe system of mutual defense alliances

their demands for independence grew louder and more powerful

a foreign policy term meaning toact in a calculating and pragmatic manner, without idealism

it became a more aggressive expansionistin the early 20th century after defeatingRussia in war

greater deaths due to better killing technologywomen involved in the labor forcegreater integration of science into the military

JapanUnited States

you come up with one and ask me

you come up with another one