Chapter 17: The First World War
17.85 : The International Anarchy
The Road to War
German
Empire
begins
-France
loses
Alsace
and
Lorraine
1871
League of
the Three
Emperors
(1872)
Dual
Alliance
(1879)
1888
Nicholas
II crown
Tsar of
Russia
1894
Wilhelm II
crowned
Kaiser
-Drops the
Pilot (1890)
Bloody
Sunday (St.
Petersburg
Gravril
Princeps &
the Black
Hand
1904
RussoJapanese
War
British launch first
"dreadnought" class
battleship (1906)
1914
Three Emperors League (1872)
• Treaty between Kaiser William I of
Germany, Czar Alexander II of Russia
and Emperor Francis Joseph of
Austria
• Bismarck's aim for forming this
League was to isolate France
• agreed to
– maintain the existing territorial
arrangements in Europe
– to resist the spread of revolutionary
(e.g. socialist) movements
– to consult one another if any
international difficulties arose
• A weak alliance:
– rivalry between Austria and Russia over
the Balkan Peninsula
The Congress of Berlin 1878
• Rivalry between Austria and Russia in the
Balkans came to a head in 1877-78.
• In 1875, five Balkan states revolted against
the Turkish rule. Russia supported Balkan
states and defeated Turkey
• On March 8, 1878, Turkey forced to sign the
Treaty of San Stefano,
– created an independent, Big Bulgaria
• Bulgaria would be a Russian puppet,
• Austria intervened, backed up by Britain
• Bismarck volunteered to act as an "honest
broker"
• Germany sided with Austria and Britain
– Russia had to give up the Treaty of San
Stefano and sign the Treaty of Berlin
– Split Bulgaria into three parts
• Bulgarian Proper
• Eastern Rumelia and Macedonia were to be
ruled under Turkish sovereignty.)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina under Austrian military
occupation (but not annexation).
• Russia felt diplomatically humiliated
– turned against Bismarck
Dual Alliance (1879-1918)
• Germany sided with Austria
• Unable to maintain friendly relations with both
Austria and Russia, Bismarck allied with
Austria
– preferred a weaker partner which could be
more easily controlled
– would throw open the Danube valley to
German trade
– had racial ties with Germany
– would enable Germany to exercise
influence in the Balkans
– alliance with Russia would antagonize
Britain
• terms of the Dual Alliance
– support the other militarily until the end of
the war if attacked by Russia
– agreed to remain neutral if her ally was
attacked by a power other than Russia
Second Three Emperors' League (1881)
• Bismarck still wanted to keep Russian friendship
after the signing of Dual Alliance (1879) with
Austria
• Czar Alexander III ascended the Russian throne
after the assassination of Alexander II.
• renewal of the Three Emperors' League of 1872
which promised to suppress the revolutionary
movements
• terms of the League were
– Balkans was to be divided into two spheres
of influence
– western Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
belonged to Austria
– eastern Balkans (Bulgaria) belonged to
Russia
– the three Emperors agreed to consult one
another if there was another Balkan crisis,
• could not last long because Austria and Russia
would soon rival over the Balkan Peninsula
again
Reinsurance Treaty 1887-1890
• Bismarck secretly made a treaty
with Russia without informing
Austria.
• Russia and Germany would
observe neutrality towards each
other if either became involved
in war with a third power, except
if Germany attacked France or if
Russia attacked AustriaHungary
• Bismarck’s goal
– Prevent two front war
– Wilhelm II refused to renew treaty
Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)
• Wilhelm’s rash decision
not to renew
Reassurance Treaty
pushed Russia into arms
of France
• France gave loans,
arms, and friendship
• MATT GOLDSTEIN IS A
GENIUS
• Military alliance formed
to block attack of Triple
Alliance of Germany,
Austria, Italy
End of Splendid Isolation
• Who would GB support?
• Felt “natural alliance” with Germany
(Angles & Saxons)
• Yet tensions began to rise b/t GB and
Germany after 1890
• Wilhelm II = Diplomatic Dope
– Kruger Telegram (1896)
• "I express to you my sincere congratulations that,
without appealing to the help of friendly Powers, you
and your people have succeeded in repelling with
your own forces the armed bands which had broken
into your country, and in maintaining the
independence of your country against foreign
aggression."
• Message sent following Transvaal’s victory
against British Jameson Raid (1895)
– Announced plan to build large navy
• GB realized that it was becoming isolated
and hated (Fashoda, Boer War)
Triple Entente
• Anglo-French Entente (1904)
– was a close understanding (entente
cordiale) in 1904
– British and French governments come to
terms over differences in 1904
– British control of Egypt is recognized by
France
– French presence in North Africa is
recognized by England
– Not an alliance (didn’t say what they
would do if war came)
• Anglo-Russian Agreement (1907)
– 1907 a humiliated Russia (defeated by
Japan) is agreeable to relations with
England
– British recognized Russian sphere of
influence in the north of Persia
First Moroccan Crisis (1905)
• France obtained protectorate control of
Morocco in 1904
• In 1905, Germany announced its support of
independence for Morocco
– Kaiser William II made a speech from
warship Tangier to Moroccans and
supported their independence against the
French
– Wilhelm wanted to test the Entente
– tactic to drive a wedge b/t France and England
• Both France and Germany called up reserve
troops and began to mobilized
• Algeciras Conference (1906)
– At conference at Algeria (1906) France backed by
Britain, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the United States
• Germany’s only friend is Austria
Bosnian Crisis (1908)
• Secret agreement between Austria and Russia
– Austria would take Bosnia
– Russia would take Straits
• Austria quickly annexes Bosnia
• Serbia is furious (wanted Bosnia itself)
– Wanted Slavic Bosnia
– Serbia threatened war on Austria-Hungary
• Russia backs down after GB and France
condemn action
• Russia had pledged their support to Serbia, so
they began to mobilize, which caused
Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, to
threaten war on Russia
• World War I was postponed when Russia
backed down,
• relations between Austria- Hungary and
Serbia were greatly strained
Austria
and
Bulgaria
rip up
the
Ottoman
Empire:
the
Bosnian
Crisis,
1908
Two Balkan Wars
• First Balkan War (1912)
– Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece
joined in and took Macedonia from
the Ottomans
– Serbs wanted Kosovo
– Bulgars claimed more of
Macedonia than was acceptable to
Serbia
• Second Balkan War (1913)
– Austria, Serbia (Russia), and
Greece squabble over Albania
(Muslim) and attack Bulgaria
• Austria was determined to keep
Serbia land locked
• Albania became “Independent”
• Serbs were frustrated
• Russians were humiliated again
1879
The Dual Alliance
1881
Austro-Serbian Alliance
1882
The Triple Alliance
Germany and Austria-Hungary made an
alliance to protect themselves from
Russia
Austria-Hungary made an alliance with
Serbia to stop Russia gaining control of
Serbia
Germany and Austria- Hungary made an
alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking
sides with Russia
1894
Franco-Russian Alliance
1914
Triple Entente (no separate peace)
Russia formed an alliance with France to
protect herself against Germany and
Austria-Hungary
Britain, Russia and France agreed not to
sign for peace separately.
1907
Triple Entente
This was made between Russia, France
and Britain to counter the increasing
threat from Germany.
Top
1907
Anglo-Russian Entente
1904
Entente Cordiale
This was an agreement between Britain
and Russia
This was an agreement, but not a formal
alliance, between France and Britain.
Europe on the Eve of War, June 1914
Germany
competes with
GB’s naval
supremacy
Russian,
Germany,
GB,
France
compete
for empire
Germany’s militarism
threatens France and
Russia
Malignant
nationalism grows in
Serbia
Russia, AusHun, Ottoman
Emp. vie for
control of
Balkans
The Sarajevo Crisis and the Outbreak of War
• The Assassination at Sarajevo
• 6/28/14 a Bosnian revolutionary
assassinated Hapsburg Archduke
Francis Ferdinand (Heir to the
Austrian throne)
• Member of Serbian secret society
called Union of Death or Black
Hand
• Ferdinand was known to favor
more equality for the Serbs
• But reformers who made the
system work are the most
dangerous to revolutionaries who
want total change
• Austria retaliates to end Slav
nationalism
Germany “Blank Check”
• Germany gave its blessing
(Blank Check)
• Austria consulted with
Germany to see how far it
could go
• Germany issued “blank
check” and encouraged them
to be firm
• Austria issued an ultimatum
to Serbia
• Demanded that it lead the
investigation in Serbia and
punish the perpetrators
• Serbia claimed a violation of
sovereignty and rejected the
ultimatum
• Knew that Russia would not
allow its further loss of
influence in the Balkans
• Russia counted on France
which gave Russia a blank
check
Germany “Blank Check”
• Austria declared war on Serbia
• Russia mobilized against Austria
and Germany
• The first nation to mobilize had
advantage of rapid offense
• Germany demanded Russia end
its mobilization but got no answer
• Declared war on Russia and
France on Aug. 1 and 3 1914
• Britain was evasive at first and on
8/4/14 declared war on Germany
• Matt Goldstein is a genius
• Had Germany known that British
would fight the whole war may
have been avoided
• But Germany should have known
that England would fight,
especially after Belgium was
invaded
• Violated treaty of neutrality of 1839
Causes of WWI
• The alliance system
– Based on living in fear of war
– Any given incident or crisis (German
intervention in Morocco, assassination of
Archduke) could not be settled by the primary
parties
• German militarism/encirclement
– Feared war with both France and Russia
– Forced to support Austria
– 1887 began to compete with British navy
• Dreadnought (1906)
– “Place in the Sun” diminishing
• Made Germany aggressive
– British ends “splendid isolation”
• Makes Germany feel encircled
• Balance of Power upset
– German strength
– Threatened France
– Forced France to support Russia
Causes of WWI
• Russian and Austrian weakness and desperation
– Both were tottering empires
– Russian revolutionaries weaken empire
– Austrian nationalistic agitation weaken
empire
– Each had little to lose and were reckless
• Ethnic & Social Tensions
– Aggressive nationalism made each nation
believe that theirs was the right cause
– Flamed by Nation-States
• Molded public opinion, created traditions
• Flags, national anthems, uniforms
• France resurrected Bastille Day in 1880
– Social Democrats unrepresented in German
government
• War used as a means to distract the
masses
• Zeitgeist
– Social Darwinism
– Authors like Nietche glorified struggle
The individual has
always had to struggle
to keep from being
overwhelmed by the
tribe. If you try it, you
will be lonely often, and
sometimes frightened.
But no price is too high
to pay for the privilege
of owning yourself.
Friedrich
Nietzsche
German
philosopher (1844
- 1900)