World War I Nationalism, Colonialism, Alliances, Paranoia

Long Term Origins Destruction of the Otto von Bismarck’s Alliance System German Hyper Nationalism Balkan Crises Arms Race

Otto von Bismarck Needed to Isolate France diplomatically after Franco Prussian War Dreikaiserbund Triple Alliance Reinsurance Treaty

Alliances Were Not Maintained Kaiser Wilhelm Fired Bismarck Reinsurance Treaty Lapsed; France and Russia create Dual Entente Naval Arms Race with Great Britain and Colonial Rivalry forces Great Britain out of splendid Isolation—Britain, France, and Russia part of TRIPLE ENTENTE

European Alliances in 1914

Naval Arms Race: Dreadnought

Colonial Race German attempts to “assist” Morocco backfired Crisis between Russia and Austria- Hungary in Balkans Balkan Nationalism

Balkan Crisis

The Great Illusion Warfare no longer thought necessary; hence it won’t happen International disarmament conferences Wishful thinking

Immediate Outbreak Germany believes 2 front war inevitable; creates Von Schlieffen Plan Serbian Nationalists slay Franz Ferdinand Austria mobilizes against Serbia Russia mobilizes against Austria Germany mobilizes against Russia, but must launch Von Schlieffen Plan into Belgium Britain declares war because of violation of Belgian neutrality

Von Schlieffen Plan

War to be Over By Christmas-- Not Trench Warfare in West Poison Gas Tanks Huge loss of life

Poison Gas

Machine Guns

Tanks

Heavy Howitzers

Destruction and Death

That Old Lie—Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

Stalemate on Western Front

Huge Loss of Life Total Military Dead: 7,996,888 Total Military Wounded: 21,755,196 Missing: 1,979,556 Total Military Casualties: 31,508,200 U. S. total casualties: 262, 725 German losses were over 4 million

Russian Revolution Rapid industrialization creates urban worker classes in St. Petersburg and in Moscow Wave of Russian Patriotism crashes against rocks of military defeat Czar Nicholas abdicates in Feb Provisional government tries to continue the war Unpopularity of war assists Bolsheviks in seizing power.

Russian Revolution Bolsheviks make peace with Germany— Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Defeat “Whites” in Civil War ( ) War Communism established; then the “New Economic Policy” Stalin succeeds Lenin—eliminates rivals, purges Kulaks (peasants) and military, institutes 5-yr. plans

Two who made Soviet Russia

Germany’s Surrender Peace with Russia frees Germany to focus on Western front Launched Friedensturm in 1918 to defeat allies before U. S. troops could arrive in force Allies withstood attack and German military command urges Kaiser to abdicate and seek peace. Weimar Republic created, which signs peace with allies. Myth of dolchstasse costs Republic support of nationalists of all stripes in postwar Germany.

New World Order Wilson’s 14 Points designed to correct flaws that led to WWI Ignored feelings of revenge and political realities. Many who had survived war no longer believed anything was worth fighting for. Many came to doubt liberal democracy.

Treaty of Versailles Only the League of Nations component of 14 points in Treaty, which U. S. never signed. War Guilt Clause Reparations Mandate System New Countries created out of old Empires

Post War Order in Europe

New States in the Baltic

A New Germany and a new Poland

New States in Eastern Europe

Post War Order Leads Many to New Ideologies Depression undoes Weimar Republic Many flirt with Bolshevism Hyper-Nationalism Flourishes Facism in Italy NSDAP (Nazis) in Germany Communism in Russia

Why WWII? Loss of will and confidence by Allied powers— long term origins of Appeasement Economic consequences of peace, protectionism by U. S., and deliberate manipulation of currency contribute to global depression Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin suppress internal dissent and look to be the harbingers of a new age to weary liberals in the west