The Road To War 1914

The Situation in Europe- Ideas Clash of ideologies Russia, Austria-Hungary and Germany were led by traditional monarchs Britain had a well developed system of parliamentary democracy France underwent revolution in the late 18c. and has experienced significant upheaval since.

European Leadership Germany- Kaiser Wilhelm II

European Leadership Austria Hungary- Emperor Franz Josef

European Leadership Russia- Czar Nicholas II (The Romanovs)

European Leadership Great Britain King George V However Britain was a constitutional monarchy and the functions of government were controlled by the PM and the Parliament

The Situation in Europe- Germany German unification 1871 – Germany defeated France in the last of 3 wars of unification Emergence of Germany as a major power 1900 Most German speaking people are united under one nation – Germany Wish to be recognized as a world power- what is the proof? Wants colonies and territory- see handout Social Darwinism

Otto Von Bismarck Prime Minister of Germany- ambitious fought three wars of unification that transformed Prussia into modern Germany. Created a series of defensive alliances that would all but protect Germany from every having to go to war German power altered the balance of power

The Great War MANIA

Militarism For centuries, peace in Europe had been maintained by a series of shifting alliances that served to produce a balance of power. As one country became stronger other countries were forced to keep up in order to maintain the balance of power.

Causes of World War 1 Militarism- Arms Race Britain had the largest Navy – to protect its empire Germany wanted a navy too, to acquire colonies and then protect them Britain saw Germany’s naval growth as a direct threat!!!

Was militarism actually a concern that could lead to war? The Daily Mail, 1909, an article by an Army officer. “The risks of Britain’s position unarmed in the face of a Europe armed to the teeth cannot be too clearly realized by the British public.” 

Was militarism actually a concern that could lead to war? Origin: Source A is a newspaper article written by a British officer. It was published in The Daily Mail in 1909. Purpose: The article is intended to inform the British public of Britain’s current state of readiness in contrast to the rest of Europe. This is a primary document.

Was militarism actually a concern that could lead to war? Value: The value of this document is that it offers a personal interpretation of Britain’s state of readiness in the years just prior to the outbreak of WWI. As an army officer, the author would have had first hand knowledge of Britain’s military preparation, as well as those of other European powers.

Was militarism actually a concern that could lead to war? Limitations: This document is limited in its usefulness because the author is an officer in the British military and may be attempting to promote greater military spending in order to serve a personal or, at most, military agenda. As such, the officer may be misrepresenting the situation in order to inspire alarm at Britain’s lack of readiness in the hopes that the public will pressure their government to pursue militarism. Also, this is one officer’s position and may not be representative of the military leadership as a whole. The selection of this article for publication may also reflect the interests, concerns or values of the newspaper’s ownership/editorial staff rather than accurately reflecting Britain’s state of readiness or the position of the British military.

The Alliances of WWI

See handout The alliance system had been place essentially since Bismarck Most alliances were defensive What are the causes of alliances? What are the consequences of alliances? Can you see a problem regarding historical perspective and the alliances?