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World War I. Historical Context. Europe was a number of sovereign nation-states, but culturally very unified Similar food, clothing, arts and entertainment, architecture Most nation-states were monarchies of some kind; only France and Portugal were republics.
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Historical Context • Europe was a number of sovereign nation-states, but culturally very unified • Similar food, clothing, arts and entertainment, architecture • Most nation-states were monarchies of some kind; only France and Portugal were republics
Germany, France, and Britain dominated the world: • Controlled about 80% of the world’s inhabited surface • Possessed half of the world’s industrial might • Merchants controlled half the world’s international trade • National groups expressed their nationalism loudly • Poles, Ukrainians, Croatians, Serbs, Czechs • After 1871 (Germany’s unification), there was a general agreement that the political boundaries were fixed no coveting a neighbor’s land • Arms/Military race
Two solid alliance blocks: Germany and Austria-HungaryBritain, France, and Russia
So how does it start? • Serbian nationalist assassinates A-H Archduke Ferdinand • Austria made demands on Serbia • Russia mobilized to back Serbian ally • Germany mobilized to stand by Austria • France and Britain mobilized to stand by Russia • Germany invaded France to try to knock it out of the war but got bogged down on Western Front
How does it turn into a WORLD WAR? • The involvement of European countries with their own colonies and other countries in Africa, Asia, and America made this a world war • British block supplies to Central Powers • Uses imperial resources, manpower • Indians deployed in many areas • French • Use African troops • Japan • Fights Germans in China, the Pacific
Ottomans • Side with Germany • Armenian genocide • United States • Begins neutral • German submarines attack American shipping • 1917, enter war
A Modern War • Modernity had brought nationalism and popular participation in government • Whole peoples could be mobilized to fight • Industrialization allowed for mass production and transportation of goods • Huge numbers of repeating rifles, machine guns, artillery, ammunition, uniforms, trucks, food, poison gas, tanks, submarines, fighting aircraft
Failed Peace • Peace of Paris: Treaty of Versailles • German war guilt • Reparations to Britain and France • Austria-Hungary • Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia • Poland independent • League of Nations formed
Consequences • Arabs and Jews given conflicting assurances • Balfour Declaration • Growth of Zionism • Europe’s global position undermined • Map of Europe changes 9 new countries • Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Austria • Some nationalist groups still exist and demand independence
Consequences • Europe begins to lose economically to rivals • Much of Europe lay in ruins • Resistance movements gain strength • Often assisted by Russia • Huge loss of life and property