Origins

of the Crisis
In 1900, the imperialist powers seemed secure
But by 1924, imperialism was in crisis
The origins of the crisis:
1. Fading confidence in the New Imperialism
2. Growing industrial and military might of Germany
challenged existing Great Powers
3. Weakening of Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian Empires
led to a power vacuum
Crisis Eruptions: World War One, Russian
Revolution
Europe 1900
Origins of World War One
World War One broke out in 1914 destroyed the system of
international relations in Europe and in the Middle East
Some reasons:
Growth of nationalism
Growth of German power
Growth of system of alliances and military plans

Nationalism:

Growing jingo-ism in France, Britain, and Germany

Ethnic minorities in large multi-ethnic Empires agitated for
freedom
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Ottoman Empire
Serbia wanted to create a greater Serbia: encouraged Serbians in
AustriaHungary to revolt
Russians helped fellow Slavs in the Balkans Pan-Slavism
Germanys Growing Economic Power
Population from 41 million in 1870 to over 66 million in 1914
Coal production increased 1870 to 1914 by over 800%, and
almost caught up with Britain by 1914.
Chemical and electrical industries became the best in the world.
In particular, Germany pulled much in advance of France.

Germanys Growing Military Power

Germany built most powerful army on land
This worried France, who saw Germany as an enemy
Germany began to build a large navy c. 1900
Worried Britain, which also began to improve its navy
Led to a naval race to build bigger battleships: Dreadnoughts
 System of alliances and military plans:
1882 - 1914
France, afraid of growing German power, created
an alliance with Russia
Germany afraid of being encircled by France and
Russia, created an alliance with Austria-Hungary
and Italy Triple Alliance
Britain, afraid of growing German sea-power,
allied itself with France Triple Entente
Military Planning
Military planning was inflexible as huge armies required
weeks to mobilize
Germany developed the risky Schlieffen Plan
 The Assassination: 28 June 1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Austrian emperor Franz
Joseph, assassinated by Gavrilo Princip.
Princip a member of Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist terrorist
organization backed by the Serbian military.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand (nephew of Austrian emperor Franz Joseph) and

Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
 The July Crisis
5 July Germany gives Austria-Hungary a Blank Cheque

23 July 48 hour ultimatum given to Serbia by Austria-

Hungary. Delay due to a French visit to Russia.
25 July Russia assures Serbia of support
28 July Austria declares war on Serbia
30 July Russia begins mobilization
1 Aug Germany declares war on Russia and mobilizes
3 Aug Germany declares war on France
4 Aug Britain declares war on Germany
Stalemate on the Western Front
1914 - 1917
After early gains,
German soldiers
stopped near Paris
at the Battle of the
Marne (Sept 1914)
Western Front
settled down little
movement 1914-
1917
Trenches, bunkers,
and machine guns
prevented advance.
 Stalemate on the Western Front
1914 - 1917
Generals tried to advance, but
each assault was very costly
1916 German attacks on
French forts at Verdun cost
281,000 German casualties and
315,000 French casualties
British attack on Germans at
Somme River cost 420,000
British casualties (60,000 on
the first day alone) with
450,000 German casualties and
200,000 French casualties
The front line, the Western
Front never moved more than
a few miles
New Technologies
All the belligerents turned their economies
completely to fight war called Total War
Rapid technological development in weapons
Heavy Artillery
Tanks, 1915 onwards

Aeroplanes - reconnaissance and dogfights

Poison Gas, introduced 1915
The War at Sea
British carried out an effective naval blockade of Germany -
strangulation of trade
Large German and British fleets only clashed once at the battle of
Jutland (May 1916) inconclusive
To break stalemate, Germany developed a new type of submarine
warfare attacked all shipping heading to Britain in the Atlantic
This caused anger in the United States, and was one reason why the
USA entered the war on Britains side
e.g. German submarines sank
British ocean liner Lusitania -
1,198 people dead, including
139 of them Americans.
The Home Front / War Economy
All factories used to produce munitions and supplies for troops
Massive rationing
Unemployment vanished
Women entered the workforce in massive numbers as not
enough men
Britain even established womens military auxiliary units

Africa during the War

War brought hardships for Africans
Europeans squeezed their African colonies for food and supplies
Some fighting as German colonies were seized
Many African (1 million) served as soldiers or as labour/porters for
Europeans especially France which ran out of men for its armies
United States
USA grew rich during the war.
1914-1917 supplied weapons and supplies to France and Britain
Entered war in 1917, which boosted its industries.
Its soldiers had an impact on the war only in late 1917 and 1918
Many poor African Americans in the South migrated to the North
to work in the busy factories and industries
The Ottoman Empire
Joined war against Russia in Nov 1914
Britain promised the emir of Mecca, Hussein ibn Ali, a kingdom of his own
if he would lead an Arab revolt against the Turks. In 1916 Hussein rose up
and proclaimed himself king of Hejaz. His son Faisal then led an Arab army
in support of the British in the Middle East.
Ottoman Empire lost its ME empire: British captured Palestine, Syria, Iraq
and the Hejaz
British also promised a Jewish homeland to British Zionists Balfour
Declaration (1917)
1918 End of the War
The Economic blockade led to production problems and
shortages in Germany
America began to pile 100,000s of soldiers every month into
the western front
German counter-attacks in 1918 failed
November 1918 German military surrendered knowing
that their front was about to collapse

Austrian troops in Jerusalem, 1916.

 Impact of the War
Twice that many returned home wounded, gassed, or shell-shocked - many
of them injured for life.
4 to 5 million forced to flee homes, and emigrated within Europe or to the
USA
Worldwide 20 million died from an influenza epidemic
Massive environmental damage and economic damage to colonies, e.g.
India
Between 8 - 10 million people died in the war:
2 million Germans
1.7 million Russians
1.7 million Frenchmen
Austria-Hungary lost 1.5 million,
British Empire 1 million
Italy 460,000
United States 115,000.
 Paris Peace Treaties 1919-1920
Treaty of Versailles Germany not allowed to have a large
military, lost its colonies, and had to pay massive
reparations Guilt Clause
Wilsonianism / Liberal Internationalism
League of Nations created to prevent future war and bring
peace and justice internationally
Other treaties created many new countries in Europe in order
to bring self-determination and surround Germany
Austria-Hungary broke up during the war, other defeated countries lost
land.
New Countries created included: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia
Britain and France gained colonies, especially Middle East
Mandates