Causes of War Reasons for Peace

1. Causes of War & Reasons for Peace K.J. Benoy

2. Causes of War For a Conflict to happen, there must be causes and an occasion: Chief causes were: Aggressive Nationalism Militarism Imperialism The Alliance System International Anarchy Expectation of War The occasion (the spark setting off the conflict) proved to be the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in the summer of 1914.

3. Causes of War � Aggressive Nationalism Aggressive Nationalism: The desire of nation states to assimilate nationals living in neighbouring countries. For example, Serbia wished to assimilate Serbs beyond its borders.

4. Causes of War � Aggressive Nationalism

5. Causes of War � Aggressive Nationalism Germany�s easy victory over France in 1870 fed Teutonic confidence. France burned with a desire for �revanche� (revenge) � to restore French honour after a humiliating defeat and to restore the �lost provinces� of Alsace and Lorraine.

6. Causes of War - Militarism Militarism is the belief in using force of arms to resolve disputes. Most countries had large standing armies of conscripts (of the major powers, only Britain had a purely volunteer military).

7. Causes of War - Militarism Standing armies were huge and conscription meant that numbers could increase rapidly. Mobilization plans meant that there was little room for diplomatic maneuvering in times of crisis.

8. Causes of War - Militarism In a major crisis, men would have to be called up quickly, equipped and transported to their units and bases prior to hostilities commencing.

9. Causes of War - Militarism Militarism led to arms races. Army sizes grew in response to increased perceive threats. A naval arms race cause friction between Britain and Germany.

10. Causes of War - Militarism The Anglo-German naval race was largely the product of the Kaiser�s ego. Germany was a land power that need not challenge Britain at sea. Changing technology allowed Germany to begin its building programme at a time when Dreadnought style warships rendered earlier vessels obsolete. Britain would have a hard time maintaining its advantage over Germany, but felt that Germany was directly challenging her at sea.

11. Causes of War - Imperialism Imperialism led to disputes between the powers. Rivals competed to control new territories. Imperial successes bred contempt for rivals.

12. Causes for War � Alliance System An alliance system spanned most of Europe. Deterrence kept the peace for a time. However, even a minor conflict might erupt into a major war.

13. Causes of War � Alliance System Any conflict between two major powers might embroil all. Because the terms of the treaties were secret, none knew how solidly their opponents were linked. Were the treaties offensive as well as defensive? Miscalculation would have grave consequences.

14. Causes for War � the Alliance System All countries had detailed plans for war. Germany�s Schlieffen Plan was one of them. Realizing it would have to fight a two front war, the Germans decided to strike France first, using its advantage in speed of mobilization. After France was quickly defeated, Germany would transfer its forces East to crush the Russians. The timetable was tight.

15. Causes of War � International Anarchy There was no big organization, like the UN, where crises could be dealt with. The lack of somewhere to refer disputes meant that countries were left to their own devices.

16. Causes of War - Expectation It had been a long time since a major conflict rocked Europe. The Franco-Prussian war had been fierce, but short. A continent-wide conflict had not occurred since the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century.

17. Causes of War - Expectation A generation grew up, fed on stories of martial glory, but without experience of real war.

18. Causes of War - Expectation Many novels were written in the pre-war years, suggesting that a major war would soon occur. However, notions of what the war would be like were mistaken. Men thought of the short Franco-War as the model; they should have considered the long and bloody American Civil War.

19. Causes of War However, these conditions lasted for decades, without war erupting. Several crises, such as the first and second Moroccan crises were successfully resolved. War was not inevitable.

20. Reasons for Peace Indeed there were many reasons for peace. These included. Internationalism � the belief that we should look beyond narrow national interests. Technological change, allowing easier travel and communication. Economic interdependence. The close relationship between the crowned heads of Europe.

21. Reasons for Peace - Internationalism Socialists in Europe called for workers of all countries to unite against international capitalists. They argued that war was a tool of the capitalist oppression. Workers of all countries should stand together in their own interests. For instance, Jean Jaures actively spoke against the French spirit of revanche.

22. Reasons for Peace - Internationalism Many wrote and spoke of a �world community.� Writers, like Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy fostered this. Philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie and Alfred Nobel did not limit their interests to narrow national projects.

23. Reasons for Peace - Internationalism There was strong interest in promoting a new world language � Esperanto � so simple in its construction that anyone could learn it in a very short time. If we could all talk to one another, could we not work out our differences?

24. Reasons for Peace - Internationalism The International Red Cross was founded in the mid 19th century and its activities expanded in 1907. The International Postal Union brought agreement to allow inexpensive postal communication around the world.

25. Reasons for Peace - Internationalism Even sporting organizations championed international cooperation and brotherhood, with new international federations formed, and, in 1896, the recreation of the Olympic Games in 1896, by Pierre de Coubertin and sponsored by the King of Greece.

26. Reasons for Peace - Internationalism The Hague Peace Conferences of 1898-1899 and 1907 showed that nations could cooperate to set limits to the destructiveness of war. Use of asphyxiating gasses was banned. �as were dumdum bullets. �as was the discharge of explosives from balloons. Nations could as easily cooperate as conflict.

27. Reasons for Peace � Technological Change Telegraph lines linked all major cities and allowed rapid communication. Railways, canals and roads joined even enemies together. River systems were international waterways.

28. Reasons for Peace � Economic Interdependence Economic Interdependence convinced many that no major nation would risk the disruption of war. Markets and sources of raw materials meant that potential enemies traded extensively with each-other.

29. Reasons for Peace � Family Ties Most of the crowned heads of Europe were closely related. King George V of Britain, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany were all cousins.

30. The Occasion for War A number of crises had been sorted out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but in 1914 Europe�s luck ran out. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, against the advise of his security people, decided to visit Sarajevo.

31. Occasion for War Sarajevo was the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina, two provinces recently added to the Empire after Turkey withdrew from most of Europe. Neighbouring Serbia felt it should, more rightfully, be theirs.

32. Occasion for War Austria-Hungary and Serbia were confirmed enemies. From 1906-1909 Austria Hungary conducted an economic blockade of Serbia � the so-called �Pig War.� In 1913, Austria-Hungary nearly went to war, but failed to do so when Triple Alliance partner Italy refused to support it.

33. Occasion for War The Serbian secret service was arming young Bosnian Serbs and encouraging them to act against Austrian authority. The �Black Hand,� more properly known by the name �Unification or Death,� had long hoped to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, who was suggesting that Austria-Hungary be made into a Triple Monarchy that would include Slavic representation.

34. Occasion for War � Murder in Serajevo The archduke�s idea was not popular with the Austrian and Hungarian elites. It was even less popular with the Serbians. On June 28, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were murdered by a student, Gavrilo Princip. Some feel that Hungarian Premier, Count Tisza, might also have been complicit in the plot.

35. Occasion for War � Murder in Serajevo Feeling that the evidence was strong of Serbian involvement and that all of Europe would sympathize with it, the Austro-Hungarians decided to act. Germany was consulted and agreed to support Austrian actions completely � the so called �blank cheque.�

36. Occasion for War � Murder in Serajevo The decision to support Austria-Hungary made, the Kaiser went on holiday. Austria-Hungary delivered its ultimatum to Serbia on July 23, fully expecting it to be refused and that a limited war would result. Serbia accepted all Austria-Hungary�s conditions, but one, on July 25, but this was not enough On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Serbia turned to Russia for support and a small war had wider implications.

37. Russia began mobilizing its forces on July 30. The German army, fearing that its plans would fail if Russia were allowed to mobilize first, called on the Kaiser to authorize war or convince the Russians to halt mobilization. War By Timetable

38. War By Timetable Kaiser Wilhelm and Nicholas II engaged in a series of telegrams � the so-called �Willy-Nicky� exchange. However, Nicholas was told by his commanders that a partial mobilization on the Austro-Hungarian Front alone was not possible. Leaders on both sides were trapped by war plans with little flexibility. If no settlement could be reached, there would be general war.

39. War By Timetable On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia and began mobilization. On August 3, Germany declared war on France and sent troops through Luxembourg and Belgium.

40. War By Timetable On August 4, Britain declared war on Germany � using Britain�s 1839 agreement to defend Belgium as its reason for doing so.

41. War By Timetable In the words of Lord Grey, who tried desperately to prevent the conflict: �The lights have gone out in Europe and we shall not see them lit again in our time.�

42. Finis