Unit 11

The Alliance Systems, Imperialism and World War I

1870 to 1918

• When Germany united, the other major European powers were concerned. Germany under Bismarck and William I constituted a major European threat, and she wanted power.
• France wanted REVENGE for 1871, but knew that it was too weak to take on Germany alone
• Bismarck needed to isolate France, while at the same time, he wanted to maintain the status quo on the continent. Bismarck didn't want war, just too armed camps. The threat of war would stop men from fighting.
• Bismarck developed a series of shifting alliances
• Dual Alliance
• Signed in 1879 between Germany and Austria-Hungary
• Each side will defend that other in case of a war
• Natural alliance with the two great Germanic Empires
• Three Emperor's League
• Signed in 1881 between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia
• Treaty of non-interference in each others affairs and a pledge not to attack each other in case of a war with a fourth party (France)
• Problem -- Austria and Russia hate each other -- they both see themselves as protectors in the Balkans (home of the South Slavs -- Serbia, Croatia, etc…)
• Triple Alliance
• Signed in 1882 between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
• Problem -- Italy and Austria-Hungary are enemies
• Britain remained in "splendid Isolationism" -- she didn't want to get involved in European affairs -- she had a great navy and a large empire -- as long as no one power got too strong on the continent, English governmental leaders were happy
• Germany was fine as long as William I was Kaiser and Bismarck ran the show. Bismarck's personality and great stature forged the alliance system.
• 1890 -- Kaiser William I died -- he's replaced by William II -- Bismarck fired
• William II was an idiot -- he wants to play with Europe like a child playing with toy soldiers
• He had none of Bismarck's skill in managing the alliance system, and thus the system almost immediately began to break down
• William II refused to renew the Three Emperor's League. The new Kaiser wanted to have closer relations with Austria, Russia's ling standing enemy.
• France sensed an opportunity -- she needed an ally to fight Germany --Russia presented a perfect partner. If Germany went to war with both France and Russia, then the German army would be forced to fight a two front war
• 1894 -- Franco-Russian Alliance signed -- France's isolation was over
• After 1894, the only major European power left without a part in one of the major alliances was Great Britain. As long as the British controlled the seas with their navy, they didn't want any part of what was happening on the continent.
• Steps to British involvement in the alliance system
• 1899 -- Boer War breaks out in South Africa -- British Army wins, but suffers heavy loses -- if the British army has to face a real power, things don't look so good
• throughout the 1890s, Germany under William II undertook a massive military buildup, both of its army and its navy. The German army's buildup scared France. The German Navy's buildup scared Britain.
• 1904 -- looking to bring Britain into an agreement and keep her away from Germany, France offers to settle Franco-English colonial disputes. Negotiations follow, and eventually an entente (agreement) is signed. England is no longer on the outside looking in, but is still not a full partner in the alliance system
• 1905 -- Russia gets its clock cleaned by the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War -- Russia is seen now as weaker than everyone expected. France begins to really believe that she needs both Russia and Britain to fight German aggression. Russia alone is not enough. The problem is that Russia and Britain hate each other and have many problems in Asia over colonies.
• 1907 -- Britain and Russia sign an entente -- Triple Entente is formed
• With the two sides facing each other by 1908, the only thing needed for war was an excuse. The alliance system would drag each country into war.

• The Balkans -- area of Southeastern Europe that today includes Serbia, Croatia and other Slavic nations.
• The area in 1914 stood between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Crumbling Ottoman Empire
• The Ottoman Empire had been around for a long time (since the 1400s) and was the last great Islamic Empire in Europe -- think back to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 -- it was the Ottoman Turks that captured Constantinople -- By 1914, the old multi-national empire is falling apart and is commonly referred to as "the Sick Man of Europe". The other European powers are like vultures around a dying animal, ready to swoop in and pick up any pieces.
• Russia saw herself as the "Defender of the Slavic People".
• South Slavs populated the Balkans (the area will become Yugoslavia after WWI. Yugoslavia literally means "home of the South Slavs")
• Russia then sees itself as having a vested interest in the Balkans
• Austria-Hungary also saw itself as holding rights to the region
• 1908 -- Austria annexes the Ottoman province of Bosnia (the ottomans are took weak to prevent the move)
• Serbia, the strongest state in the region and an ally of Russia's protested, but to no avail. The Austrians were a great power and Europe didn't want war yet.
• Russia agreed to back her little Slavic brother in case of a war with Austria.
• 28 Jun 1914 -- a Serbian nationalist shoots Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austria throne, in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
• Austria was engaged and threatened war with Serbia
• Austria looked to Germany for support
• Late July 1914 -- Germany gives Austria the "Blank Check" -- a go-ahead in its war plans against Serbia
• Austria presented Serbia with a series of demands that essentially would have stripped Serbia of its independence. The Serbians refused
• 28 July 1914 -- Austria declared war on Serbia
• 30 July 1914 -- Russia orders full mobilization of its army against Germany and Austria
• 01 Aug 1914 -- Germany declares war on Russia and France
• German war plan -- defeat France in less than 6 weeks -- this was the time it would take the Russian Army to fully mobilize for war.
• 04 Aug 1914 -- German troops invade Belgium on their way to Paris -- Britain uses the invasion of Belgium to justify joining the war
• As a result of the Alliance System, all the major powers of Europe are now at war, with the exception of Italy, which backed out of the Triple Alliance as the war was starting and decided to be neutral for now.

• War fought on two fronts in Europe
• Old generals with Napoleonic tactics. -- Over the top and full frontal assaults
• New Weaponry, especially machine guns and gas
• Horrific Casualty rates
• Western Front (France)
• After initial push in 1914, settles down into trench warfare from the English Channel to the Swiss Border
• Trench system reached back to supply lines -- illustrate on the board
• Battles take place around little French villages and rivers made famous by the War -- all along the trench system -- both sides looking for a "breakout"
• Verdun -- 1916 -- German offensive vs. French Army -- French hold -- over 1 million casualties
• Somme -- British offensive vs. German Army -- 1916 -- 1 1/2 million dead in 6 months
• Ypres -- 3 separate battles for the town -- Germans vs. British -- almost 1 million dead
• In the end, very little movement takes place between 1914 and 1918, but both sides will suffer unbelievable losses
• Eastern Front (Eastern Europe)
• Traditional warfare with large areas of ground taken along a huge front
• Russian Army woefully inadequate against the German Army (fares ok when facing Austrian Army)
• Russian Army forced to give ground throughout 1915 and 1916
• By end of 1916 -- Russia on the brink of revolution an unrest at home -- she is losing the war badly
• March 1917 -- Russian Revolution begins with a socialist takeover in St. Petersburg (Mensheviks) -- Czar Nicholas II steps down -- new liberal government determined to continue the war
• Germany figured out a way to get Russia out of the war
• Russian dissident Vladimir Lenin was in Switzerland
• The Germans put him on a sealed train and then dropped him off at the front
• Lenin made his way to Petrograd (new name of St. Petersburg) and started a Bolshevik revolution in October 1917 -- Marxist Communism
• Lenin promised the Russian people that he would end the war -- he does
• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk -- March 1918
• Between Russian and Germany
• Russia loses a lot of land in Eastern Europe and has to pay reparations (payments) to Germany
• Other Fronts (Southeastern and Southern Europe)
• Southern Europe
• Italy enters the war on the Allied Side in 1915
• War in southern Europe will be fought along the Italian / Austrian Border
• Mountain fighting
• Heavy losses on both sides
• Southeastern Europe
• Austria vs. Serbia
• Austria, who started this war vs. Serbia, can not defeat the little Slavic nation
• Ottoman Turks enter the war in 1915 on the Central Powers side
• Viscous fighting between Turkey and the Allied Powers (mostly British) throughout the war

• France 6.2 million
• Great Britain 3.2 million
• Italy 2.2 million
• Russia 9.9 million
• Serbia 300,000
• United States 325,00

• Austria-Hungary 7 million
• Germany 7.1 million
• Ottoman Empire 1 million

America stayed out of the war until the Spring of 1917 -- we felt that it was Europe's business. When we do get into the war, however, we made the difference to the Allied side. Fresh American troops saw heavy fighting on the Western Front and turned the tide against Germany

By the Summer of 1918, German generals had just about convinced the Kaiser that all hope for victory was lost. American troops combined with other Allied troops began to push German troops back to Germany

Early Nov 1918 -- Kaiser William steps down

Nov 11, 1918 -- Germany authorities sign an armistice (cease-fire) and the fighting ends

• Extremely harsh treaty between Germany and Allied Powers (US, Britain, France, Italy)
• Idea of a "League of Nations" to administer the peace
• France -- Bleed Germany white so that she can never do this again -- remember two attacks by Germany on France in 40 years
• United States -- treat Germany with respect and she'll not want another war
• Britain -- sides mostly, but not completely, with France
• Italy -- someone owes me so stuff (explain in Class)
• German representatives told to sign the treaty -- they had no say in the points
• Germany to give up land on both sides
• Austria reduced to German part, but not allowed to join with Germany
• Eastern Europe divided into nation states (somewhat)
• Italy gets very little
• Germany military cut to almost nothing -- German navy and air force eliminated
• Reparations bill -- Germany to pay the Allies for the war
• Article 231 -- German War Guilt Clause -- Germany forced to admit that she was completely responsible of the war