Pre-War
Imperialism Map
Spoken Languages of Europe Map
Khan Academy – Beginning of World War 1 Series
The Formation of a Global Society
History of the International System – Lecture 2 – Stanford
- late 1800 – The shrinking of the world in terms of travel, rails, telegraphs (Around the world in 80 days)
- The colonisation of Africa – Liberia founded by former slaves – French, British, German, Italian land grab, empire building – world powers
- America was only beginning their global presence
- Ottoman empire, Chinese empire – qualified sovereignty – foreign European influence over banking, territorial enclaves – growing resentments in their incursions of sovereignty
- Colonies- Africa & India
- Christianity becomes world religion thru missionaries
- Japan only country that tried to emulate this
- Hague Conference – Russian Czar – arms control agreements – wanted to stop all technological progress
Transformation of the European System
History of the International System – Lecture 3 – Standford
- System failure – comes about either from the system no longer being sufficient or the people operating it to no longer maintain in
- Rising world powers – all 3 go through major changes in the 1860’s
- Japan – magi reformations
- America – civil war
- Germany – Prussian war – Germany becomes country and so becomes world power
- 1890’s, all 3 powers begin to militarise and imperialise
- Germany – only unified recently (along with Italy) – Chancellor Bismarck – Bismarckian Diplomacy – worried about France and Russia, neighbours on East and West, strived to keep them apart – sought alliances aimed towards moderating and containing tensions
- Germany allies with Russia – Russia is happy to ally as they see it as opportunity to expand their power over disputed territories
- Germany also allies with Austria
- 1890 – bismarck is fired by Kaiser – alliance w/ Russia is dropped – Russians make alliance with France (1982-94) = Bismarck’s nightmare
- Britain ceases its neutrality and allies w/ America & Japan then in 1904 w/ French & 1907 w/ Russia – conflict management alliances
- Decline of powers
- Russia – loses war to Japan in 1905, suffers revolution
- Austria-Hungary – suffers from language and cultural conflict
- Ottoman empire – Ruled by Turkik people, heart in the Balkans, stretched from Middle East to Eastern Europe – Greeks and Serbs are pushing them out of Europe – destabilising – Muslim minorities driven out by new Christian majorities
- Ottoman empire tensions are very important to the start of the war and the shape of the 20th century – 1908-1911 – days are numbered
- Italy -1911 – go to war against Ottoman empire to acquire Libya – Balkans attack Ottomans – Balkan War – appalling atrocities
- The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkan Peninsula in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913. Four Balkan states defeated the Ottoman Empire in the first war; one of the four, Bulgaria, was defeated in the second war. The Ottoman Empire lost nearly all of its holdings in Europe. Austria-Hungary, although not a combatant, was weakened as a much enlarged Serbia pushed for union of the South Slavic peoples. The war set the stage for the Balkan crisis of 1914 and thus was a “prelude to the First World War.”
- 1914 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Hapsburg throne, visits Sarajevo, ruled by Bosnia, for a state visit
- Assassinated by Serbian terrorist group
- Austria uses this as excuse to subdue and humiliate the Serbians as rival
- Serbia – client state of Russia, shares religious, language, ethnic ties – Austria needs to worry about this before attacking Serbia, seeks confirmation from Germany, who agree
- Russians had to get support from France, who agree
- Germany was trying to get out of their encirclement, also feared that Russia was becoming a huge world power and figured that if there was going to be a war, it should be now as opposed to later, when Russia would be more apt to destroy them
- Britain tries to broker peace, leaves their position ambiguous, which makes both sides miscalculate their support on their behalf – fails, Britain allies w/ France + Russia
- Russia mobilises, which means war to Germany, who have a very small window of time (950 hrs) to enact their ‘plan’), Germany tries to get Britain on their side
- Statesmen & diplomacy failed because everyone was in a hurry not to lose control of situation – victory came from the offensive
- Everyone wanted a fast and large offensive battle as prolonged warfare would have devastating effects on the world economy due to the global interdependence of trade
The War Begins
- 1914 – full scale european war
- Germany tries to march through Belgium to get to France without fighting on French/German borders
- Aug 3 – Germany declares war on Belgium & France – ruins Germany in terms of public opinion and turns Britain against Germany
- Belgium stands up to Germany – fortified compounds by the Belgians defeated the first round of German attack
- France and many powers still have armies modelled after Napoleonic times while Germany has modernised
- Eric Ludendorf takes city but forts are still standing – canons from Germany en route to take down forts
- 300,000 pound siege canons – these things are cray badass btw – forts go down FAST
- Germans start killing civilians – policy of frightfulness – collective punishment
- Central powers now pictured as villains – modern day version of the Huns – propaganda
Khan Academy – Western & Eastern Fronts of WWI
The Western Front – 20th Century Battlefields
The Century: America’s Time – 1914-1919: Shell Shock
The First World War
History of the International System – Lecture 4 – Stanford
- After marching through Belgium and entering into various bloody skirmishes in France, Germany has French and British troops in retreat, until French Commander Jaffer spots weakness in German flank as they round past Paris via the Schieffen Plan. They take advantage of this and attack, sending the German’s into retreat until they reach the Aignes River, where there is a 500 ft vantage point. Here they entrench.
- French troops follow and an reconnaissance airplane lands and tells them the Germans have dug down and are waiting for them. Both sides entrench themselves and a race to the sea via Belgium is undertaken to close any remaining flanks.
- Belgium floods her own fertile lands with salt water to keep the Germans at bay in Flanders
Things stagnate in war of attrition on the western front (between France & Germany) – both sides are looking for allies - Ottomans join Germans, Italians join French
- 1915 – Germany’s population is starving due to British blockade, decides to blockade British ships by declaring to sink any ships in their designated blockage zone via submarine
- This means sinking of neutral ships and possibly American ships – once Germany becomes afraid of America’s involvement, they cease temporarily
- Russia falls – Bolshevik Revolution – huge implications, a victory for Germany
Germany returns to submarine warfare, thinking their victory will come before the Americans join - April 1917 – Bolsheviks in control of Russian Gvt – Americans join the war
- 1918, November 11, 11pm – Armistice signed to end the warEffects of 1st World War
Redrawing maps of Europe – destruction of Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russian empire & Ottoman empire
America enters the world stage
Brings communist party to power in Germany
Khan Academy – Other Fronts of WWI
The Aftermath
Peacemaking
History of the International System – Lecture 6 – Yale
Implications of the war
- Dissolving difference between foreign and domestic affairs – emphasis on democratic state
- Lenin & Bolsheviks take over of Russia – Lenin sees future divide as a class struggle vs. Woodrow Wilson, who sees it as a democratic struggle
- Both believe traditional diplomacy needs to be revised
Consequences of Armistice – French, British, Americans + Reps of German Govt (in which there is a current revolution)
- German state remains despite becoming a republic
- War continues in the east
- Civil war in Turkey
- Poland at war over future geography
- Ethnic violence widespread
- Bolsheviks = 1st communist state (ever) – First orders of business – immediate peace w/ Germany, give land to the peasants, give all power to council (aka the Soviet) – all spells economic disaster
- Lenin believes that seizing power in Russia, he will start a global revolution in the spread of communism
- Communist revolution in Hungary is stifled during peace talks – expediency for the treaty needed
Paris Peace Treaty – Treaty of Versailles
- America – Woodrow Wilson – Democracy & self determination
- France – George Clemenceau – main concern = protect France from Germany – French security
- David Lloyd George – prime minister of Britain – more interested in balance of power, but did suffer in war
- Germans not present – are given terms
- Germany kept as state but;
- Army reduced to 10,000
- Reparations
- Lose territories
- New states in eastern Europe based on self determination based on ethnic lines
- League of Nations
- Japan led out, Italy leaves on their own
- Wilson & Clemenceau both make compromises – Wilson to get League of Nations passed, which he then fails to get the US to join
The Middle East
Khan Academy – WWI Shapes the Middle East
1) Theodor Herzl & the birth of political of Zionism
2) Sinai, Palestine & Mesopotamia Campaigns
3) Sykes Picot & Balflour Agreements
4) Arabia after WWI
The Search for Order – The Middle East
History of the International System – Lecture 6 – Stanford
- 1914 – Ottomans make alliance w/ Germany thinking they could reclaim some Russian territory if/when Germany wins
- Waged war on 7 fronts (shown in Lawrence of Arabia)
- Victory of Galipoli, stayed in existence but lost – occupied after war
- British occupy Constantinople, Italians occupy south, Greek occupy places of Greek minorities
- 1915 – Armenian Genocide carried out by Turkish govt, drove them into the Syrian desert
- Greeks defeated and militarily drives out by Mustafa Kamal – consolidates empire int Turkik state – Greeks transferred over to Greece
- France & Britain want the conquered areas – want order, military bases & access to resources (Persian oil)
- Create states they take as mandates – French -> Syria, Lebanon, British ->Trans-Jordon, Iraq, Palestine
- Iraq – Britain installs existing ruling family as head of state – Sunnis, despite Iraq being Shiite
- Britain pulls out due to public opinion & bad economy – Iraq plagued by coups and instability
- Palestine – British mandate, promised in secret to British Jews to become Jewish Homeland – Balflour letter – tensions rise between Jews and Palestinians throughout interwar period
- Mustafa Kamal – Turkey’s new leader – Turkey finds success and stability in post war
- France & Britain agree to a free Turkey in return for free ring over former Ottoman colonies
- Nation building through ethnic cleansing
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