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1914: THE GENESIS OF A TRAGEDY

1914: THE GENESIS OF A TRAGEDY. THE TRIUMPH OF NATIONALISM. THE WORD “NATION”. A key word of the French Revolution “What is a nation? A body of associates living under a common law and represented by the same legislature”. 1789: a National Assembly. THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN.

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1914: THE GENESIS OF A TRAGEDY

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  1. 1914: THE GENESIS OF A TRAGEDY THE TRIUMPH OF NATIONALISM

  2. THE WORD “NATION” A key word of the French Revolution “What is a nation? A body of associates living under a common law and represented by the same legislature” 1789: a National Assembly

  3. THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN “The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation” The nation = a social contract freely embraced by the citizens

  4. THE ROMANTIC THEORY OF NATIONS Romanticism: intellectual movement of the late 18th century focusing on emotions A nation = the fruit of nature The Franco-German conflict and the question of Alsace-Lorraine Self-determination vs. national identity through language

  5. ERNEST RENAN What is a nation? (1882) NO nation without national consciousness New technologies (printing press/the railroad) + EDUCATION Wars: “Us” vs. “Them”

  6. PERCEPTIONS

  7. THE THREE-YEAR LAW (FRANCE)

  8. RUSSIFICATION IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE

  9. PAN-SLAVISM

  10. THE RISE OF GERMAN NATIONALISM The unification of Germany (1871)

  11. GERMAN NATIONALISM A “German National Myth” rediscovered in the 18th century and boosted by the French Revolution & the Napoleonic Wars Main element of unity = hatred for the French The dream of a Greater Germany

  12. 1862: BISMARCK AS CHANCELLOR The unification of Germany under Prussia’s leadership “Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided but by iron and blood“ The concept of Realpolitik (diplomacy based on power)

  13. PRUSSIA UNTIL 1859 Austria dominates the German Confederation until 1859

  14. ACT 1: THE ZOLLVEREIN Austria denied membership

  15. NAPOLEON III AND BISMARCK Dialogue “Iron and Blood”

  16. ACT 2: TO ISOLATE FRANCE Napoleon III supportive of the German national movement A German Confederation in the South and one in the North Bismarck: France to be compensated if she remains neutral (Austria = next target) Germany and Italy = a military alliance

  17. ACT 3: THE BATTLE OF SADOWA A decisive Prussian victory

  18. ACT 4: A NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION Free movement of the citizens within the territory of the Confederation (1867) A common postal system (1867/1868) common passports (1867) The taking over of the Prussian military laws (1867) To avoid humiliating Austria

  19. ACT 5: THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR (1870 - 1871) Bismarck: France = an obstacle to the incorporation of Southern German states to the German Confederation Napoleon III aware of the danger but fails to reform the French military A Franco-Austrian rapprochement?

  20. THE AFFAIR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION 1868: Queen Isabella of Spain overthrown 1870: the throne of Spain offered to a German prince Unacceptable to France The Ems dispatch

  21. AT WAR France diplomatically isolated A defensive strategy Poor logistics Lack of conscription

  22. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR The collapse of the Second Empire The Third Republic The Treaty of Frankfurt (May 1871): the loss of Alsace-Lorraine + heavy reparations German unification is now complete

  23. GERMANY’S ‘WORLD POLICY’ (WELTPOLITIK) ‘We do not want to place anyone into the shadow, but we also claim our place in the sun’ 1897 Social Darwinism: the survival of the fittest The notion that the German race is superior A state must expand to survive Prince von Bulow

  24. A PAN GERMAN LEAGUE To unify German-speaking peoples of Europe German spheres of influence outside of Europe + colonies No more than 20,000 members Perception: Germany = a threat

  25. THE WAR IS INEVITABLE The notion war was inevitable widespread in Germany Two wars in the Balkans (1912-1913) Confrontation between Germanic peoples and Slavs inevitable The Russian “menace”

  26. THE FEAR OF ENCIRCLEMENT

  27. RUSSIAN REARMAMENT

  28. ‘Germany and the Next War’ (1911) War is a ‘biological necessity’ Germany must strike the first blow: France must be completely crushed General von Bernhardi

  29. FRANCE’S FOREIGN POLICY The French motto: avoid war if possible but remain firm Revenge over the loss of Alsace-Lorraine = a MYTH Raymond Poincaré

  30. THE FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE (1894) The cornerstone of French foreign policy

  31. THE “SICK MAN OF EUROPE”

  32. NATIONALISM IN THE BALKANS The gradual retreat of Ottoman power in South-Eastern Europe

  33. THE BALKAN WARS (1912-1913) Sharing the spoils complicated: a complex repartition of populations The seeds of a second conflict

  34. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1908)

  35. THE GREAT POWERS OF EUROPE AND THE BALKANS

  36. THE ASSASSINATION OF FRANZ FERDINAND

  37. EUROPE AT WAR

  38. A GENERAL WAR IMPOSSIBLE? The Great Illusion by Norman Angell (1910): economic interdependence of nations = war is unprofitable A 20th century war would be on such a scale to make war ‘unthinkable’

  39. THE RISE OF INTERNATIONALISMS A major cultural change: the perception of an irresistible march towards globalization 500+ international organizations (1912) A common goal: to forge a project for the future/to build a new society INTERNATIONALISM vs. NATIONALISM

  40. THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL (1889-1916) “The worker has no country” A common enemy: capitalism

  41. 1864: THE BIRTH OF THE RED CROSS The Battle of Solferino (1859) Henri Dunant

  42. THE HAGUE CONFERENCES 1899-1907 A peace conference for the limitation of armaments Safeguarding the human rights of individuals involved in armed conflicts Nicolas II

  43. THREE SECTIONS The peaceful resolution of international conflicts Laws and customs for the conduct of war on land The extension of the Geneva Convention of 1864 to naval warfare

  44. THE SECOND HAGUE CONFERENCE (1907) “Hostilities [between nations] must not commence without previous and explicit warning” “The territory of a neutral power is inviolable.” The use of floating mines was forbidden

  45. WAS WAR INEVITABLE? The rise of nationalism in Europe = increased tensions The spark: the assassination at Sarajevo

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