1. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929

2. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
Origins of the Crisis in Europe and the Middle East

3. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
The Ottoman Empire and the Balkans
The Ottoman Empire was the “sick man of Europe” because it was no longer rich or powerful
The empire began losing provinces like Bosnia, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania
“Young Turks” wanted to reform their empire and blamed Sultan Abdul Hamid for the country’s issues, placing his brother in power
The empire then looked to Germany as a model for industrialization and modernization

4. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
Nationalism, Alliance, and Military Strategy
The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered a chain of events over which military and political leaders lost control
The escalation from assassination to global war had causes that went back many years

5. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
Three reasons for this escalation
Nationalism bound citizens to their ethnic group and called upon them to kill their enemies
“Entangling alliances” linked nations together and guaranteeing that, if one went to war, the other would as well
Germany’s desire to dominate Europe

6. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
Because of nationalism, people viewed war as a crusade for liberty or as a long-overdue revenge for past injustices

7. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
Over the course of the 19th century the memories of the Napoleonic Wars faded and people began to forget when a continent wide military struggle really meant
Conflicts such as the Franco-Prussian war were short and low on casualties
In the wars of New Imperialism, Europeans were almost always victorious and experienced very few casualties

8. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
Central Powers
Entente Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Russia
France
Great Britain
U.S.A. (1917)

9. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929

10. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929

11. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929

12. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929

13. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
The alliance system was cursed by inflexible military planning
These nations had developed massive railroad networks but very few motor vehicles
This meant that the precise movements of troops and supplies had to be made well in advance and that it could not be stopped once it began

14. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
In the years before the war, military planners in France and Germany had worked out elaborate railroad timetables to mobilize their armies in a matter of days
German planners believed that Britain would not join a war on the European mainland
Their plan was to defeat France in a matter of days and then move their entire army by rail to the Russian border before the Russian army could mobilize

15. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
On July 28th, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, with the backing of Germany
This event triggered the mobilizations plans of Russia, France and Germany
On July 29th, Russia ordered Austria to back down because Serbia was their ally
On August 1st, France honored its treaty obligation with Russia and ordered the mobilization of their army
Minutes later, Germany did the same and war was inevitable

16. Chapter 27: The Crisis of the Imperial Order, 1900-1929
The German war plan was to wheel around through Belgium, and into Northwest France
The German leadership expected France to surrender before the British could get involved
However, on August 3rd, when German troops entered Belgium, Britain demanded their withdrawal
When Germany refused, Britain declared war on Germany