The Roots of War Ideas and Ideals in Pre Europe

Societal Forces in Pre-1914 Europe 2 IndustrializationUrbanizationEducationNationalismMilitarismImperialism

Industrialization The industrial revolution created whole new industries and this meant lots of factory jobs. These jobs were only to be had in the cities so people began to move into the large urban centers. Materials and goods could now be mass produced on a previously unimagined scale. These industries created a need for more raw materials 3

Urbanization Large numbers of people began moving into cities to take factory jobs This concentrated a nation’s population, making them easier to count, tax, reach and govern Governments could centralize their powers and more directly influence their citizens’ lives Children were now more likely to receive some type of a school-based education 4

Education Large numbers of children were now receiving at least a primary school education – sometimes more This education taught a common national history as well as instilled common ideals New generations of children began to think of themselves in a national, instead of regional, identity 5

Nationalism The idea that your country is the greatest nation and that it is right in all that it does. A deep sense of loyalty and the determination that the strength and survival of the nation is more important than any other considerations An aggressive nationalist feels that his country should be able to do as it please to further its interests Nationalism often creates a need for people to integrate themselves into the dominant culture of the nation. Differences and minorities are not usually tolerated. 6

Militarism The philosophy that war was an acceptable and necessary (often favourable) way to solve problems A strong nation needed a strong army to defend itself and impose its will on others War is a perfect way to demonstrate a nation’s superiority over other nations Social Darwinism: it is natural for nations that don’t fight to perish; “survival of the fittest” War is an honourable and noble venture that is to be welcomed, not avoided To fight and die for one’s country was thought to be the greatest service a man could perform and the most heroic act imaginable 7

Imperialism Creating an empire by settling or conquering other lands and nations Fuelled by nationalism and the belief that a country had the “right” to take what it needed Racist philosophies about “superior races” and “civilizing” other peoples were used as a justification Industrialization created a large demand for natural resources – colonies helped meet the demand Prestige: A large empire demonstrated your superiority over other nations 8

Main Causes of WWI WAR Militarism Imperialism Nationalism Treaty System

Nationalism The sense of superiority and “destiny” instilled by nationalism fuelled notions of imperialism and militarism. Nationalism instils the belief that your country can “do no wrong” and you should always agree with its policies The flip side of such ardent love for your country is a dislike/distrust and condescension towards other nations and their peoples This causes people to disregard the concerns and rights of other nations These attitudes created a hostile and competitive atmosphere in Europe 10

Imperialism The major European nations were all trying to gain as many colonies and territories as possible These new territories provided raw materials which were necessary to fuel their growing economies Often, they bumped into one another and had disputes over different areas of the globe These disputes raised tensions and created an atmosphere of distrust and anger Each nation believed that they “deserved” the new territories despite previous or competing claims (nationalism) National pride was often bruised when these “disputes” were settled. Often it was believed a military solution would have been more favourable 11

The British Empire (1900) 12

13 Militarism Each country began to build-up its armed forces. This created fear in other countries who then began to further upgrade their armies and navies. With such huge, seemingly “invincible” forces under their control, leaders began to believe that they were more powerful than other nations Weapons are meant to be used: As tensions rose, the temptation to settle matters with force became more and more attractive Nationalistic pride coupled with militaristic philosophies led people to believe that their nation could assert its rightful place through war There had not been a major European war since Napoleon’s defeat in All other conflicts had been either minor and short, or in distant parts of the globe. People did not have a true sense of what a major war would be like.

14 Europe’s Treaty System European nations sought allies in order to further protect themselves and strengthen their military might. The alliances were also meant to curb the imperial ambitions of competing countries Germany allied itself with Austro-Hungary and Italy. (Triple Alliance/Central Powers) Britain allied itself with France and Russia. (Triple Entente/Allies) There were also treaties between these large nations and smaller countries is Europe These alliances meant that if a conflict broke out between any of the countries, all of Europe (and their far-flung empires) would be at war. This included Canada