Causes of World War I Part 2

1. Causes of World War IPart 2

2. Cause #2 – Militarism:Italy • The army was a symbol of Italy’s unity and status as a Great Power • Italy engaged in a military and naval arms race, primarily against Austria-Hungary and France • They were to have a superiority of 2:1.6 dreadnoughts over Austria • Throughout the 1890s, Italian generals had planned for war with France, but also with Austria-Hungary. Annual maneuvers began to be held in the Alps

3. Cause #2 – Militarism:Russia • Knew that if they had war, they would have to face war against Germany and Austria-Hungary • Believed they were the overseer of the Slavs in the Balkans • Approved huge army and naval increases in 1913

4. Cause #2 – Militarism:Russia • Plan 19 – The plan for a war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. If Germany attacked France, Russia would send 9 army corps against Germany and 16 army corps to attack Austria-Hungary. It was based on the assumption that Germany would be too busy in the west to intervene effectively on the eastern front

5. Cause #2 – Militarism:France • Wanted to regain Alsace-Lorraine and have colonies in Africa • Extended compulsory military service from 2-3 years • Increased naval expenditures • Plan XVII – Developed by Ferdinand Foch following the Franco-Prussian War and continued by Joseph Joffre. Hoped that once a German invasion through Alsace occurred, an all-out attack on the diverted German forces (because they would be engaged in the East by Russia) would achieve a quick win

6. Cause #3 – Nationalism • Why nationalism? • Competition between countries for colonies • Competition to be the greatest power • Competition to have the biggest army and navy • War unifies your country • Social darwinism – your race is the best and your country deserves preeminent status

7. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Germany • Kaiser Wilhelm II • Was emperor • Was intelligent, but highly emotional and unpredictable • Had a need to show himself equal of his British relatives • Believed in social darwinism

8. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Germany • Election of 1912 • More Social Democrats, Progressives, and Center parties were elected to the Reichstag. They wanted reforms that would limit the power of the king and deter war • Conservatives, militarists, and Wilhelm became concerned and wanted to defeat democratic socialism • They started to want war to keep in power and started to fear that Germany wouldn’t be a great power

9. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Germany • Their Austrian ally was in getting weaker because of disputes among the nationalities in their empire • Russia had recovered from their defeat against Japan and was getting stronger • Russia’s protégés in the Balkans were increasing in strength after their victory in the first Balkan war • After the elections of 1912, more Social Democrats were in the Reichstag than ever before

10. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Germany • All of this contributed to the thinking that war was needed now if Germany was to maintain their status as a great power • The Kaiser and his staff contributed to a warlike mood in the country because they saw war as the only way to unify the country and maintain the status of the elite

11. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Austria-Hungary • Constitutional Settlement of 1867 • Linked Austria with Hungary • Dualism was seen as a device for excluding the Slav majority from their rightful and equal place in the empire • By dividing the empire, the Magyars (Hungarians) and Germans (Austrians) constituted the majority, each in their own half. The majority of the 21 million Slavs in the empire as a whole was thus turned into minorities

13. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Austria • Ethnic Distribution In Austria: • Germany 24% • Hungarian 20% • Czech 13% • Polish 10% • Ruthenian 8% • Romanian 6% • Croat 5% • Slovak 4% • Serb 4% • Slovene 3% • Italian 3% • All these nationalities would cause problems because they wanted their autonomy • The thinking was if Austria allowed them to have it, they would no longer be a great power

14. Cause #3 – Nationalism:France • In France in 1912, a tough nationalist, named Raymond Poincare, became premier and president the following year. He saw two choices: • Give in the German demands and abandon France’s status as a great power (as in the Morocco crisis) • Strengthen her own forces and draw closer to Russia (even at the risk of being sucked into a war that was purely in the interest of Russia – i.e.- Balkans) • He never wanted to be at the mercy of Germany

15. Cause #3 – Nationalism:Serbia • Serbian ambitions to make Serbia “the Piedmont of the southern Slavs” would cause unrest from Serbs and Croats living inside Austria-Hungary • Serbia had grown nationalistic due to their wins in the Balkans Wars • Serbia also felt nationalistic due to their support from Russia, who felt as if they were the overseers of the Slavs since they had ethnic ties with them

16. Cause #4 – Imperialism • Why imperialism? • Countries believed that to remain a great nation, or become one, you must colonize • Colonial expansion might produce greater power from increased wealth and population • You would obtain more natural resources & markets

17. Cause #4 – Imperialism • Why imperialism? • Could make a fortune on gold, diamonds, coffee, rubber, etc. or could invest in railway or telegraph systems • Those powers that possessed no colonies, like Italy and Germany, began to feel that they should have some, on the grounds of prestige and to provide a rallying point for national feelings at home • The Middle East became a source of tension for the new oil-driven dreadnoughts

18. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Italy • Believed that they must assert their influence to be a modern Great Power • Sent a force to the Turkish province of Tripoli in North Africa • During the war with Italy, the Turks closed the Straits of Constantinople, causing Russia’s trade to suffer • This caused the acquisition of the Straits to be the main aim of Russian foreign policy

19. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Austria • Austria and Serbia both competed over Bosnia • Russia competed for the Balkans because they had ethnic ties to the region • Italy competed for the Balkans due to their proximity and Italians living there

20. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Germany • In 1903, German railroad promoters were backed by the German government and Kaiser, who ever since his visit to Constantinople in 1898, posed as the friend and protector of Turkey • The Russians were opposed to the idea. They believed that the Baghdad railway might damage existing French railway interests in Syria because of rival Turkish orders between Germany and France

21. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Germany • The fear of Germany threatening India or gaining some control over the Middle East led to Britain’s alliance with Russia • The Turks made a secret treaty with Germany the day after the Germany declared war on Russia for a guarantee of their territorial integrity

22. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Russia • Regarded their expansion and control of territories on the periphery of their empire as natural and necessary • They believed that the interest of frontier security and trade relations required that the more civilized state acquire a certain power over its neighbors • Wanted the Straits of Constantinople and to protect the Slavic peoples in the Balkans

23. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Britain • Britain’s ability to maintain its place as the strongest imperial power was very important; it’s preservation was a matter of life or death • They believed that military arms were not only for the benefit of Britain, but to maintain the Empire and to protect trade • World trade and an open economy was key to Britain’s prosperity • They stressed the British right to rule and the superiority of the British race over all others

24. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Britain • Britain’s crown jewel was India, so that prompted the entente with Russia; if they lost India, they would lose their preeminence in the world • The Middle East market was threatened by Germany and Italy • With imperial interests in India and the Persian Gulf, Britain hoped that an alliance with Russia would check Germany’s ambitions in the Middle East and India

26. Cause #4 – Imperialism:France • Although France was really declining, French governments followed expansionist aims overseas and refused to be intimidated • They added to the empire in North Africa (Tunis was added to Algeria) and in eastern Asia in Indo-China • In 1905, Germany loomed as the biggest obstacle to French colonial ambitions and Britain became the friend • France wanted to acquire Alsace-Lorraine and establish control over Morocco w/o Germany interference

27. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Morocco Crisis Part I • Germany and France both had rights in Morocco • The Kaiser made a dramatic visit to Tangier in 1905 and promised to support the Sultan of Morocco against the French • The objective was to frighten Britain and France out of their recent alliance • However, the Germans gained nothing and rather the British and French began talking about military cooperation

28. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Morocco Crisis Part II • The Kaiser was annoyed because this was not his intention, so he withdrew and was compensated by France with African territory relinquished to Germany • This setback only reinforced Germany’s desired to become stronger

29. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Morocco Crisis Part II • In 1911, a German gunboat was sent to Agadir in Morocco to frighten the French (Gunboat Diplomacy) • The British would stand by France if Germany attacked her

30. Cause #4 – Imperialism:Consequences • French fears of Germany were strengthened • Led to an anti-French feeling in Germany • Since Britain drew closer to France, Germany drew closer to Austria • Britain drew up military plans to land a British army of 150,000 men in France if Germany invaded France • French army appropriations were increased; service in the French army was lengthened from 2-3 years to meet the difference between France’s and Germany’s army