Imperialism, Alliances and WAR

1. Imperialism, Alliances and WAR Chapter 26 EQs: What are the economic, cultural and strategic factors behind European imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries? How did alliances form among Europe’s major powers? Why did WWI and the Russian Revolution occur? What were the results of both events?

2. It’s a TWO PART Episode • Part 1: Europe expands globally in reaction to increased competition amongst states • Britain is the global superpower, other states expand to compete • France WAS the continental power…Germany takes over that role w/assistance from Austria • Part 2: World War I is a direct reaction to European expansion, both globally and locally • Part 2: The Russian Revolution is a latent reaction to the failures of the Russian state to prevent expansion by Europeans and other Asian states (China and Japan) while at the same time fail to respond to domestic issues

3. The New Imperialism • What it is NOT • Colonization – European nations did NOT send traditional colonists to all of their areas of interest…they sent diplomats, military units, businessmen • Simple trading (mercantilism) – There was little interest in providing a balance of trade between the European state and the imperial state unlike in previous eras…Europeans were more interested in finding the products/resources and controlling them directly, NOT trading for them • What it IS • Raw material exploitation – European nations were looking for the items that would support their industrial dominance…that was all they were interested in from various regions • Alliances with the supportive majority (usually conservative) – Europeans sought to forge alliances with entities in each regions that sought personal benefit from a business relationship while subjugating and controlling the population • Political and military dominance if alliances fail – If said alliance could not maintain control over its people or if it eventually began to demand greater autonomy, Europeans simply “took over”

4. The New Imperialism • Despite what sounds like complete takeover, Imperialism had benefits for areas impacted: • 1. Infrastructures were built – Ports, railroads, power plants • 2. Education systems were established – standardized school systems (though based on European/religious values) brought greater education to certain areas • 3. Better access to healthcare provided – Europeans got sick on new diseases so they found ways to cure them, which invariably helped the native populations who had been suffering from them in the past • 4. New ideas entered various societies and transformed them – DEMOCRACY creeps into certain states for the first time ever, as do socialism and communism

5. Latin America and the World Market • Latin America experienced a wave of economic imperialism from Europe in the second half of the 19th century • Great Britain led the charge to establish economic relations with Latin American nations by 1) rebuking attempts by Spain to re-colonize freed nations 2) using dominant sea power to “protect” trade to Latin America • The US also felt the need to exert some measure of influence, citing the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, a declaration that no further colonization by Europeans in LA would be allowed…was actually hard to maintain by the “virgin” US • Britain literally replaced Spain as Latin America’s trading “dictator”…Britain regulated all trade with LA nations…Britain became the sole consumer of LA goods in the mid-19th century though some minor interaction occurred between LA, France and the US…all this did was 1) cause Latin America to become dependant on foreign markets and 2) feed economic power to the landed aristocracy (Creoles)

6. The Partition of Africa • Before 1800, large portions of the continent of Africa were largely untouched by Europeans…Africa literally was the “Last Frontier” to most European states, the last place to forge any imperialist ventures • Many explorers begin to push in from the coast in the early to mid 1800s • Mungo Park and Richard Burton followed the courses of major African rivers as the wound into the interior • Religion becomes an impetus for settlement in interior Africa • Missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, began to flood into the interior on a mission to “Christianize” and “Civilize” Africans. • They set up schools and hospitals • Dr. David Livingstone was the most famous explorer-missionary. He traversed African over a 30 year period. • When he was feared lost, a journalist named Henry Stanley went looking for him…“Dr Livingstone, I presume?”

7. The Partition of Africa • Of all the countries in Europe to start the scramble, it was BELGIUM and King Leopold II • In order to avoid an all out war between European powers, they sat down at a conference in Berlin in 1884 • No one from Africa was invited • The goal: Draw a map of Africa which divided the territory into colonies for the following countries: Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Portugal • This territory was divided based on where Europeans already had set up government offices and settlements • Ethiopia and Liberia are only countries not taken by Europeans • PROBLEMS: 1) Europeans did not take into account the traditional tribal boundaries of Africans 2) To make this geographic process successful, the European even played off tribe against tribe (political issues)

8. The Partition of Africa • So, who took what? • Great Britain • Rhodes’ ambitions started with the Suez Canal…though built by the French it had become an important waterway for the British to India…when Egypt began to rebel against foreign control in the 1880s, Britain took over Egypt making it a protectorate…Britain later moved south when the Sudan de-stabilized…this led Rhodes’ to his “Cape to Cairo” ambition, controlling Africa from north to south (only to be interrupted by German claims in East Africa thru WWI) • France • France had been involved in Africa since the early 1800s, attacking pirates off the North African coast…this eventually gained them control over Morocco and Algeria…they moved south across the Sahara in the years following to claim most of West Africa as a result and the island of Madagascar became their important “refueling point” in the Indian Ocean • Germany • Bismarck never really had intentions of imperial designs…but because of British and French influence, he was pressured into claiming parts of Africa (Cameroon, Togo, and East Africa) as bargaining tools/leverage against British and French aggression…these locales also served to extend German interests into Asia as “refueling points” as well

9. Imperialism Elsewhere • European imperialism extended itself to Asia as well… • India was taken over completely by the British government in 1859…they also expanded their interests in China, competing in treaty ports with Germany, France, The Netherlands, Russia and Portugal • France dominated Indochina • The Netherlands controlled Indonesia • Russia built the Trans Siberian railroad to Manchuria and Korea • The Japanese got involved to stem the tide of European intrusions into what they felt was their own cultural sphere • The US, also an emerging imperial power by this point, extended itself throughout the Western Hemisphere, by bolstering its Monroe Doctrine w/The Roosevelt Corollary…this allowed the last Spanish colonies in the New World to be “freed” and gave America “refueling points” in Hawaii, The Philippines, Samoa and Guam

10. Germany and the Continent • Again, Bismarck was not so concerned with overseas imperialism as he was with continental political dominance…he declared Germany “satisfied” and forged various alliances meant to squash French dreams of “revenge” against Germany for the loss of the Franco-Prussian War…he made sure that France could not make alliances with other imperial nations of the time • Bismarck first established the Three Emperor’s League in 1873 bringing together Germany with Austria and Russia…it was a short lived venture due to tensions in the Balkans (Austria and Russia were vying for influence in the region) • A Russo-Turkish War broke out in 1875…Free Serbs came to the aid of their Bosnian and Bulgarian neighboring who desired their own independence from the Ottomans (w/Russia backing the war thru Pan-Slavic aspirations in order to gain control, once again, of the Black Sea) • Peace was reached by 1878, with Russia gaining more Balkan influence BUT not the Dardenelles or the Black Sea…Britain still feared Russian expansion and sent a fleet to Constantinople to support the Ottomans • Fearing a “Great War” Bismarck played peace broker with the Congress of Berlin in the summer of 1878…he made it clear Germany had no imperial designs, he just wanted to answer the age old “Eastern Question”…he results definitely fueled animosity…Bulgaria was reduced in size with no sea access to the Aegean, Bosnia was given to the Austrians, Britain given dominion over Cyprus and Germany received Russian resentment…this entanglement was more of a subtext to war than a solution to continued aggression between European powers

11. The Alliances • The Triple Alliance • The Balkans situation forced Bismarck’s hand…he forged a secret defensive alliance with Austria in1879 to keep Russia at bay • Italy, ambitious to expand and rebuff French expansion in North Africa, requested in 1882 to join this alliance…Bismarck had succeeded in his peaceful solution with this alliance (despite skirmishes that continued to break out in the Balkans) • He even made a secret pact with Russia in 1887, promising neutrality with Russia if either was attacked by its opposing allies • Bismarck’s peace however was quickly dashed in 1888 when William II acceded to the German throne…Kaiser Bill was a young ambitious turd who, like many young Germans, desired German global dominance…he used a disagreement over the creation of a larger German navy to fire Bismarck in 1890 • The Triple Entente • Bismarck’s dismissal caused all previous alliances and deals (save the Triple Alliance) to collapse…France took the opportunity to ally itself with Russia • Germany (Kaiser Bill) even tried to win Britain over to the Triple Alliance, without success, as Britain saw no value in joining with the young impudent whelp of a state • Germany got its navy in 1898…Britain saw a threat…by the early 1900s, Britain was making alliances with Japan, France and Russia in order to stem German expansion • Kaiser Bill decided to grandstand in March 1905 at Tangier, Morocco, favoring the independence of France’s prized North Africa possession…this event actually drove Britain and France into a very unlikely union against German aggression • Britain sealed the deal further in 1907 by finalizing a peace with Russia over years of fighting over the Balkans…the Triple Entente was now the new rival to the Triple Alliance…and the battleground between both was the Balkans! It only seemed inevitable that a war, a World War, would soon break out there…

12. END PART ONE

13. World War I and Revolution in Russia EQs: Why did WWI and the Russian Revolution occur? What were the results of both events?

14. Prelude to WAR • It all starts in the Balkans…the Austrian empire still had designs on controlling states in the region and had dominion over Croatia and Slovenia…since the Congress of Berlin in 1878 they also had control over Bosnia • The region was erupting with nationalist fervor…many of these tiny nations sought independence, having been controlled originally by the Ottomans…they all looked to Serbia as a “father figure” for how to operate a nationalist revolt (Serbia having freed itself successfully in 1830, with a little help from Russia)…Serbia believed it was its destiny to help free its various neighbors • In 1908, a movement known as the Young Turks sought to reform the crumbling Ottoman Empire and re-invigorate its imperialist holdings in the region…this threatened the balance of power in the region that European empires had hoped to gain as well as the nationalist desires of these smaller nations

15. Crises Galore • The first underlying causes of WWI was the Bosnian Crisis of 1908…Austria and Russia did not want to see the Ottoman’s reborn, so Austria agreed to annex Bosnia while supporting Russian naval action in the Black Sea & Dardanelles…the Austrians annexed Bosnia though before the Russians could mobilize…the Serbs were angered that the annexation of Bosnia occurred • The second underlying cause takes us back to Morocco again in 1911…France sent troops to put down a rebellion, Germany sent troops and a gunboat to support their local interests…Germany provoked Britain, who had been concerned with the increased German naval presence in the Atlantic…the event drew Britain closer to an alliance with the French to defend them from future German aggression • War broke out in the Balkans as a result of fear…Italy attacked the Ottomans to force a succession of Libya to Italy (to keep it from the French)…Balkan states, encouraged by the Turk weakness attacked in 1912…a joint force from Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro won an easy victory…however, they could not come to terms over the division of the spoils (Macedonia) so another Balkan War erupted in 1913 as Turkey and Romania recaptured some Bulgarian territory • Austria began to see Serbia as a threat…they demanded that Albania be granted independence from the Serbs…the Serbs, backed by Russia, refused…there was a back and forth over Albania in 1913, but eventually the crown of Austria mutually agreed to halt further aggression against Serbia • The son of the Austrian emperor, Francis Ferdinand went to Sarajevo to negotiate the truce (which was not a popular decision in Austria)

16. The Spark • June 28, 1914…Franz Ferdinand’s motorcade was riding through Sarajevo…someone threw a grenade…it missed the Archduke, but injured some of his escorts…concerned for their condition, the Archduke insisted that afternoon to visit his men in the hospital…while once again riding through Sarajevo, the assassins struck again, shooting Ferdinand and his wife • The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a member of a Serbian terrorist group known as the Black Hand that had long opposed the Austrian presence in the Balkans • Austria was OUTRAGED but reluctant, but with backing from Germany (Kaiser Bill), declared war on Serbia one month later (though they were no were near prepared to fight a war) • Russian government officials, gun shy from losing the Russo-Japanese war, were also reluctant to go to war…they mobilized forces in retaliation against Austria only to support Serbia…said mobilization was seen by Germany, no matter how small, as a threat

17. Strategies and Stalemates • Germany had secretly already planned for war…they had in place a strategy, the Schlieffen Plan, which was meant to be used against France (retaliation for earlier incidents)…this plan went into effect in August 1914 after Austria finally mobilized against Russia and Russia moved against the German boundary • France and Britain were instantly drawn into the conflict and WWI had begun…people were actually excited about the war as most thought the differences between these states would be quickly resolved in a few short months…no one knew that the war would drag on for almost 4 years and that it would mostly be fought as a stalemate over the same ground for 3 of those 4 years through the most horrific warfare tactics to date in global history • The Western battles lines were drawn almost immediately as the Schlieffen Plan was put into action…after crossing Belgium and the Alsace-Lorraine, the Germans found themselves stymied in Eastern France against the combined British-French force • The situation was much different in the East…the Russians advanced early against the Germans and Austrians…however, their incompetence and lack of industrial capability soon weakened them and forced Russian Czar Nicholas the II to abdicate

18. The Russian Revolution • Even before Russia began to weaken, it had been plagued by revolution, famine, workers strife, and corruption in the government…many Russians had supported the war against Germany, but their were factions that did not and saw Nicholas as a puppet of his German wife and corrupt “faith healer” Gregory Rasputin…Rasputin was blamed for the czar’s weakness and killed in 1916…however, Russia’s problems did not resolve themselves…the czar took it out on the people, dissolving the Duma (legislature) and by becoming more autocratic…he even took to leading troops on the battlefield himself • March, 1917 – Russia was in turmoil…the continued failures of the Russian army coupled with poverty and famine at hope caused rebellion…Nicholas abdicated on March 15 and a provisional government took control of Russia…the Mensheviks, led by Alexander Kerensky, established moderate socialists reforms for Russia…BUT their one fault was that they continued to fight the war against Germany which now had become largely unpopular in Russia for the first time

19. The Russian Revolution • Another faction in Russia was having more success gaining support, the Bolsheviks…led by Vladimir Lenin, the Red Socialist party promised land, bread and peace to all Russians and demanded that all control over Russia’s industry and resources go to the soviets (workers councils) rather than foreign private interests • October, 1917 – Preying on the failure of Kerensky’s government, Lenin and his pal Leon Trotsky staged a coup that resulted in the take over of the government • Almost immediately, the new Bolshevik government moved to nationalize land holdings in Russia and turn it over to peasants and local soviet worker councils…factory workers were also put in charge of their own plants…banks and their assets seized by the state and the Orthodox church itself also had its property taken • MOST IMPORTANTLY – The Bolshevik government signed an armistice with Germany in December 1917…The Brest-Litovsk Treaty of March, 1918 sealed the deal with Russia giving up its Polish holdings to Germany along with the Baltic states and the Ukraine…other parts of the Caucasus region went to Turkey…Russia had no choice, it could not afford to fight any longer despite giving up a lot! • Despite the Bolshevik victory, a civil war continued to rage in Russia until 1921 as those still loyal to the czar and his family (the Whites) fought the Bolsheviks (the Reds)…foreigners backed the Whites hoping to maintain their “imperial” hold over Russia’s resources…it was not to be however, as Trotsky and the Red Army were victorious

20. The End of World War I • It was almost immediate, as a consequence of the Russian withdraw and the entry of the US in 1917…Germany now was only fighting on 1 front with the withdraw of Russia…they still scored many stunning victories in 1917, but time was not on their side • In March 1918 the Germans tried one last thrust into France only to be stymied by the US reinforced Allies…the Germans had no reserves, and the Austrians had been completely defeated by US forces moving up from Italy • Seeing defeat, German officials moved to broker peace BEFORE the war ended…but the Allies and most notably US President Wilson demanded that they negotiate with a German democratic government and not its Imperial government • Kaiser Bill abdicated on November 9, 1918…combat officially ended at 11am on November 11, 1918…almost immediately the German Social Democratic Party took control (moderate, to prevent any Leninist style rebellion)…the subsequent peace process, however, served to be humiliating for Germans…most did not know their army was being defeated, and, in some cases, rebelling against the state…none ever saw a foreign soldier on German soil (meaning, no Allied troops even needed to invade Germany)…most Germans came to believe that their leaders had been tricked into defeat, mainly by republicans and socialists within the government…a long bitter taste was left in the people’s mouth, one that would carry over through the next 2 decades…

21. The Peace • The architects of the Paris Peace Settlement all met at Versailles in 1919…there was an optimistic hope of creating a “peace without victors”…but said optimism was idealistic at best • Nationalism was a key issue in the treaty making process…Wilson’s 14 Points had decreed the right of nationalities to attain self-determination…drawing a new map of Europe to do so was difficult • Britain and France deeply desired that Germany make reparations for its aggression…Russia was promised control in Turkey…Italy and Serbia were promised land on the Adriatic…Romania was promised Transylvania…Zionism also reared its head when the peacemakers had to deal with the remnants of the Ottoman Empire • The only point that the peacemakers could agree on was preventing the spread of Communism throughout Europe…the Germans used that pitch to prevent a heavy punishment

22. The Peace • The first main aspect of the peace was Wilson’s League of Nations, a body of member states that would pursue international issues and prevent aggression…the main council of states included the US, France, Britain, Italy and Japan but left out the USSR and Germany • Colonial areas were established by mandates…most of these were in the Middle East and were divided among France and Britain • What to do with German territory was another issue…many portions of Germany were re-apportioned to France and a new Poland…the Rhineland was wanted as a buffer state for France but that did not happen…instead, France got the Alsace-Lorraine region back (first time since 1870) and the Rhineland was demilitarized by the US and Britain • In the east, Hungary became a separate state, but small…the Czechs and the Slovaks were combined into a new state…the smaller Balkan Slavic states were combined into Yugoslavia…Romania gained Transylvania and Bessarabia…Bulgaria lost land to Greece and Turkey…new states were created around the Baltic including Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia

23. The Peace • The most debated part of the process was the reparations…Germany had promised to pay “for all damages done to civilian population of the Allies and their property”…that was determined by US bean counters to be between 15-25 Billion…but France and Britain owed the US and feared being able to pay so they demanded Germany pay their debts too • To justify huge reparations, the Allies inserted into the treaty what would notoriously become known as the “war guilt clause” • “The Allied and Associated Government affirm, and Germany accepts, the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by aggression of Germany and her allies” • The Germans did not feel completely guilty, but their government none-the-less capitulated and accepted the agreement • Ultimately, this peace process has become the most derided in history…there were inexcusable economic consequences of pillaging the aggressor state (Keynes)…it created tariffs and trade barriers that inevitably caused the Great Depression…and the seclusion of Germany and Russia from the new League of Nations caused more problems than good and ultimately forced France to protect eastern states, something it could NOT do