CH. 25 IMPERIALISM, ALLIANCES,
AND WAR
EUROPE BEFORE AND AFTER WWI
EXPANSION OF EUROPEAN POWER AND THE NEW
IMPERIALISM
• 1870s-1900s European states expanded their control over 1/5 of world’s
land and 1/10 of the population
• Expansion driven by developments in science, agriculture, technology,
communication, transportation, and military weapons
• Became know as New Imperialism
NEW IMPERIALISM THEORIES
• Economic Theory advanced by J.A. Hobson and Lenin that viewed
imperialism as a monopolistic form of capitalism
• Argument: Underdeveloped nations had raw materials and provided
markets
• Argument: Imperialism was an effort to cure the depression of 18731896
• none of these theories have been proven
NEW IMPERIALISM AND RELIGION AND
POPULATION
• Imperialism as an effort to extend European culture and Christianity to
less industrialized regions
• Bring culture in the form of religion would make these regions less
“backward”
• Colonies would attract Europe’s surplus population
• European emigrant actually preferred areas not controlled by their
home countries in North and South America
EMERGENCE OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE AND THE
ALLIANCE SYSTEM
• In 1873 Bismarck formed the Three Emperors’ League which brought
together Germany, Austria, and Russia
• The league would collapse because of Austria and Russia rivalry in the
Balkans
• The Congress of Berlin resulted in Russia’s significant loss of territory and
a new tension arose between Germany and Russia
• Germany and Austria signed the Dual Alliance where they would
protect each other if either country was attacked by Russia
EMERGENCE OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE AND THE
ALLIANCE SYSTEM
• Russia soon joined and renewed the Three Emperors’ League in 1881
• Another series of alliances between Austria, Germany and Italy were
arranged but the rise of William II to the German throne upset these
alliances and led to the dismissal of Bismarck
• New Alliances led to the Franco-Russian alliance of 1894 and a new
tension arose between Britain and Germany
• Britain concluded agreements with the French in 1902 known as the
Entente Cordaiale
• Triple Alliance Entente Britain France and Russia was now posed
against the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria and Italy
WWI
• A series of Balkan Crises advanced war
• Both Serbia and Austria-Hungary wanted to expand into the Balkans
• Austria annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908 and proceeded to
alienate Russia which sided with Serbia in the Crisis
• Germany joined Austria’s cause to keep the Russian threat in check
WWI
• A second crisis in Morocco occurred in 1911 when Germany protested
French occupation of the region
• Germany Sent the Panther gunboat to protect German interests
• This action irritated Britain which pledged support to France
• Negotiations allowed France to establish a protectorate in Morocco
and gave Germany some land in the French Congo
• Increase of British fear and hostility toward Germany and a closer
alliance with France
WWI
• June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
• Austrian heir to the throne was killed by a Bosnian nationalism would
spur the outbreak of war
• Serbia’s involvement with the plot provoked outrage in Europe
• Germany agreed to support Austria in an attack on Serbia and war
was declared in July but did not begin until August
• Russia was not eager for war, Pan-Slav nationalists demanded action
which resulted in partial mobilization
• France and Britain were not eager for war but alliance required them
to aid Russia
THE RUSSIA REVOLUTION
• March 1917, a Russian Revolution overthrew the tsarists government of
the Nicholas II
• The war put too many demands on Russian Resources and peasant
discontent had plagued the country for many years
• Strikes worker demonstrations erupted, the tsar abdicated, the
government fell to the members of the reconvened Duma
• Provisional government was formed composed of Constitutional
democrats and western sympathizers
• The government remained loyal to tsarist alliances and decided to
continue the war against Germany
THE BOLSHEVIK WING
• The Bolshevik Wing of the Social Democratic party had been working
against the provisional government
• Vladimir Lenin Demanded that political powers got the soviets which
were councils of workers and soldiers controlled by the Menshevik
wing, a group of orthodox Marxists
• With Lenin's help, Leon Trotsky organized a coup that concluded with
Bolshevik rule of Russia
THE END OF WWI AND SETTLEMENT OF PARIS
• March 1918 Germany agreed to accept defeat and sought peace on
the basis of Wilson’s 14 points plan which included a creation of the
League of Nations
• The Great War came to end with 4 million dead and 8.3 million
wounded among the Central powers and 5.4 million dead and 7
million wounded among the Allies
THE PARIS SETTLEMENT
• The Paris settlement consisted of five separate treaties between victors
and defeated
• The Soviet Union and Germany were not included in peace talks
• The League of Nations was established and its covenant was an
important part of the peace treaty
• France won Alsace-Lorraine, Germany disarmed, United States and
Britain agreed to protect France from any future German aggression
• The Austro-Hungarian Empire Disappeared giving way to five small
states
• Germany was required to pay 5 billion annually in reparations until
1921