Chapter 14 – World War I and Its Aftermath Section 1 – The Stage is Set

Setting the Scene By 1914, Europe had enjoyed a century of relative peace. Many idealists hoped for a permanent end to the scourge of war. "The future belongs to peace” said French economist Frederic Passy Others were less hopeful. "I shall not live to see the Great War,” warned German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, "but you will see it, and it will start in the east.” It was Bismarck's prediction, rather than Passy’s, that came true.

I. The Pursuit of Peace By the early 1900s, efforts were underway to end war and promote understanding between nations The Nobel Peace Prize Medal

I. The Pursuit of Peace Organizations struggling for women's suffrage supported pacifism, or opposition to all war

I. The Pursuit of Peace The First Universal Peace Conference set up the Hague Tribunal, a world court to settle disputes between nations COURT OF JUSTICE THE HAGUE

II. Aggressive Nationalism Aggressive nationalism was a cause of international tensions pushing Europe to the brink of war

II. Aggressive Nationalism Germany became a military and industrial power, while the French were bitter about losing Alsace and Lorraine The French were especially bitter about their 1871 defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the German occupation of the border provinces of Alsace and Lorraine (the "lost provinces“)

II. Aggressive Nationalism In 1905 and 1911, competition for colonies brought France and Germany to the brink of war Kaiser Wilhelm II enters Tangiers, Morocco during a state visit, 31st March 1905

II. Aggressive Nationalism By 1900, German factories were out- producing British ones, creating economic reasons to oppose Germany in any conflict German Submarine Factory

II. Aggressive Nationalism Russia sponsored Pan-Slavism and felt that it had a duty to lead and defend all Slavs, especially Serbia

II. Aggressive Nationalism Austria-Hungary feared that nationalism might cause rebellion among the minority populations within its empire

II. Aggressive Nationalism Ottoman Turkey felt threatened by new nations, such as Serbia and Greece, on its borders

II. Aggressive Nationalism 1912 and Balkan states attacked Turkey and fought for territory. By 1914, the Balkans were the "powder keg of Europe"

III. Rivalries Among European Powers Economic competition and imperialism were sources of conflict between European nations

III. Rivalries Among European Powers The rise in militarism – the glorification of the military – led to an arms race as nations expanded their armies and navies

IV. A Tangle of Alliances The great powers signed treaties intended to create powerful combinations that no one would dare attack

IV. A Tangle of Alliances Germany formed the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy

IV. A Tangle of Alliances 1914 – During WWI, Germany, Austria Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire became the Central Powers Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany), Enver Pasha (Ottoman Empire/Turkey), Emperor Franz Joseph (Austria/Hungary) “United in the Fight”

IV. A Tangle of Alliances In 1904 France, Russia, and Britain formed the Triple Entente, who were the Allies in WWI