2. ❖Diplomacy: peaceful relations
between sovereign states in order to
avoid war.
❖1914, European leaders were
unable or unwilling to find peaceful
alternatives.
❖Major concept that guided
diplomatic relations before 1914
was balance of power.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
3. ❖Congress of Vienna – no one state
should dominate international
affairs.
❖Until its defeat by Germany in
1871 (Franco-Prussian War), France
was most important state on
continent.
❖Balance of power changed.
❖France yearned for revenge.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
5. ❖Russia and Austria-Hungary wanted
to expand in Balkan Peninsula.
❖Italy aspired to become major
power.
❖England concentrated on expanding
empire in other parts of the world.
❖1878, Bismarck called a conference.
❖Main item of business was to sort
out Balkans after Russo-Turkish War.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
7. ❖Rumania, Serbia, and
Montenegro became independent
states.
❖Russia gained territory on Black
Sea.
❖Britain and Austria-Hungary were
allowed to occupy and administrate
Cyprus and Bosnia, respectively.
❖Ottoman Empire reduced.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
8. ❖Bismarck realized that treaties needed to
replace the congress system to reflect
Germany as a major power.
❖Balance of power must be preserved but
with Germany having a decisive influence.
❖Ideal situation involved controlling Russia,
keeping France in isolation, preventing Italy
from triggering war with Austria-Hungary
(for territory), and creating an alliance
between Austria-Hungary and Germany.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
9. ❖As long as England was not
seriously challenged, England
would not oppose Germany’s
domination of the continent.
❖Bismarck first negotiated Dual
Alliance with Austria-Hungary in
1879.
❖Became the Triple Alliance when
Italy joined in 1882.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
10.
11. ❖Defensive alliance.
❖Assured support from others in
the event of enemy attack.
❖Also secret treaties.
❖1881, Bismarck created Three
Emperors’ League: Germany,
Russia, and Austria-Hungary
alliance.
❖Left France without allies.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
12. ❖League broke down in 1887
because Austro-Russian hostility
over the Balkans.
❖Bismarck replaced this with
Reinsurance Treaty with Russia
(1887), should Austria attack Russia,
Germany would remain neutral and
if France attacked Germany, Russia
would remain neutral.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
13. ❖No major wars from 1871 to 1890.
❖Germany now great power.
❖New German emperor after
Bismarck resigned, Wilhelm II
(1888-1918).
❖Wanted to set policy himself, not take
orders from Bismarck.
❖Rejected Bismarck’s passive
satisfaction with empire’s
international position.
Balance of Power & Alliance System
14.
15. ❖Favoured weltpolitik, “world
policy,” where Germany
sought colonies and challenged
Britain’s imperial leadership.
❖This would destabilize the
balance of power.
❖Wilhelm frightened Russia,
France, and Britain.
Wilhelm II and German Weltpolitik
16. ❖Canceled Reinsurance Treaty with
Russia.
❖He didn’t think Russia and France
would ever ally themselves together.
❖1894, Russia and France signed a
treaty against the Triple Alliance –
each promising to go to war if the
other were attacked by Germany.
Wilhelm II and German Weltpolitik
17. ❖Wilhelm antagonized Britain.
❖Authorized massive naval
build-up – direct challenge to
Britain’s naval supremacy.
❖Resulted in a naval race
between the two countries.
❖Led Britain to seek allies – in
France and Russia.
Wilhelm II and German Weltpolitik
18. ❖1904, Britain and France
established Entente Cordiale,
settled their colonial differences.
❖1907, Britain and Russia clarified
their respective sphere of influence
and Entente Cordiale became
Triple Entente.
❖Wilhelm’s new policies changed
balance of power.
Wilhelm II and German Weltpolitik
19.
20. ❖National sentiment, religious
hatred, and Russian and Austrian
ambition to expand proved a lethal
mix!
❖1908, war nearly broke out over
Bosnia.
❖Austria occupied area since 1878
but feared Ottoman Empire would
attempt to regain control.
Balkans
21. ❖Russia turned back to the Balkans
after defeat by Japan, for access to
the Mediterranean Sea.
❖Austria-Hungary and Russia agreed
secretly to support one another at a
conference – Russia would gain
access to the Mediterranean and
Austria-Hungary would annex Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
Balkans
22. ❖Mix-up occurred: Austria took over
Bosnia, Russia gained nothing
because it had no support from
allies in Triple Entente for extending
power into Mediterranean.
❖War broke out in 1912 in Balkans
as Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and
Montenegro swept Ottomans out.
Balkans
25. ❖Most assumed a European war
would never occur.
❖Yet, plans for large-scale armed
conflict.
❖German war plans changed after
Wilhelm II took control.
❖Once Russians were no longer tied
to Germany, Germans assumed they
would be fighting on two fronts.
Outbreak of WWI
26. ❖General Alfred von Schlieffen devised
a plan to cope with this possibility.
❖Schlieffen Plan assumed Russia
would mobilize slowly and France
must be defeated quickly.
❖Plan called for rapid mobilization,
taking Paris in six weeks by marching
through neutral Belgium, then turning
east to Russia.
Outbreak of WWI
27.
28. ❖1914, international relations were
tense.
❖Tension in the Balkans that
triggered a European war.
❖June 28th, 1914, Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-
Hungarian throne, and his wife,
Duchess Sophie were visiting
Sarajevo.
Outbreak of WWI
29. ❖Bosnian city
annexed by Austria
and claimed by
Serbia.
❖Desperate act of
terrorism, Serbian
nationalist, Gavrilo
Princip,
assassinated them.
Outbreak of WWI
31. We were not the only organization which plotted against
Austrian rule. But we were the only one which went to
the length of direct action – political crimes and
demonstrations to inflame the hearts of the people. The
others merely distributed nationalistic and
revolutionary literature and by argument sought to
prepare the ground for revolution. We were the
extremists. All the organizations had a loose connection
with each other, but none of them knew our plans or
when we would strike…
… The men who were terrorists in 1914 in Bosnia
embraced all classes. Most of them were students: youth
is the time for the philosophy of action. There were also
teachers, tradesmen, and peasants; artisans and even
men of the upper classes were ardent patriots. They were
dissimilar [in] everything except hatred of the oppressor.
Outbreak of WWI
32. ❖Austria blamed Serbia for the
killing, claiming that it encouraged
nationalist movements in Bosnia.
❖Before taking action, Austria-
Hungary checked with German ally.
❖July 5th, 1914, Germany pledged
its support, even if Russia entered
on the side of the Serbs.
Outbreak of WWI
33. ❖July 23, Austria sent Serbia a
set of demands that would
deprive Serbia of its
independence.
❖Basically an excuse to go to war.
❖Austria declared war on Serbia
on July 28th 1914.
❖Russia mobilized the next day.
Outbreak of WWI
34. ❖July 30th, German general,
Helmuth von Moltke told Austria to
mobilize against Russia.
❖Germany issued an ultimatum to
Russia, warning it to not interfere in
the Balkans.
❖Russia did not answer and
Germany declared war on Russia on
August 1.
Outbreak of WWI
35. ❖Germany immediately put
the Schlieffen Plan into effect,
sending troops through
Belgium to defeat France.
❖War was formally declared
against France on August 3,
1914.
Outbreak of WWI
36. ❖Germany hoped that England
would remain neutral.
❖Public opinion was very upset
with Germany invading
neutral Belgium.
❖England had little choice but
to join Russia and France.
Outbreak of WWI
37. ❖August 4, 1914, Britain declared
war on Germany, using German
violation of neutral Belgium to
persuade public opinion.
❖Countries from Britain’s
empire were automatically at
war (Canada, Australia, India,
and New Zealand).
Outbreak of WWI
38. ❖Everyone in Europe
thought the conflict would
be over within six months.
❖War was viewed as a
romantic, nationalist affair,
brief heroic excursion to
defeat the enemy.
Outbreak of WWI
39. ❖It was not romantic,
but brutal and ugly!
❖World War I introduced
tanks, poison gas, and
airplanes to the world’s
military arsenal.
The War
40.
41.
42.
43. ❖German strategy failed!
❖Battle of Marne began on
September 6, 1914.
❖French managed to stop
German advance.
❖Gave Russians time to
mobilize.
The War
44.
45. ❖Germany now faced a two-
front war.
❖Western front was established
in France in 1914 and remain the
same for 2 ½ years.
❖Fighting turned into series of
attempts to penetrate fixed
trench positions.
The War
46. ❖The war got bogged
down in the trenches,
each side confronting the
deadly machine gun –
best defensive weapon at
the time.
The War
48. ❖Japan entered war on Allies
side in August 1914.
❖Ottoman Empire entered
on Germany and Austria-
Hungary side in late 1914.
❖Italy switched to Allies in
1915.
The War
49. ❖None of these changes
altered the course of the war.
❖Japan spent all its efforts on
acquiring German
possessions in Far East and
gaining concessions from
China.
The War
50. ❖Ottoman Empire harassed
Russia in Black Sea but too
weak to make a difference.
❖Italy abandoned Triple
Alliance in 1914 – did not
want to go to war over
Balkans.
The War
51. ❖Italy claimed the alliance was a
defensive one and Austria-
Hungary’s actions toward
Serbia were offensive.
❖Both sides bargained with Italy
and Allies gained it as a friend
which it promised Italy lands.
The War
52. ❖Britain used its naval
power to attempt to
blockade German ports.
❖Challenge for them was
the ingenious submarine,
used by Germany.
The War
53. ❖German submarine raised
serious diplomatic questions
about what to do about
neutrals, particularly the
United States.
❖United States clearly
sympathized with the Allies.
The War
54. ❖Strong sentiment in United
States that it should continue
traditional policy of not
becoming involved in European
conflicts.
❖President Woodrow Wilson
tried to mediate between powers.
The War
55. ❖1915, Germany attempted to
blockade Britain and
announced any shipping in
the Atlantic would be fired
upon.
❖Wilson was angered and
public opinion supported him.
The War
56. ❖May 1915, British passenger
ship Lusitania was destroyed by
German submarines.
❖1200 death, including over 100
Americans.
❖Outcry in United States that
Germany felt it wiser to retreat.
The War
58. ❖By 1917, English blockade
became more effective and
Germany began to feel
shortage of resources.
❖January 1917, Germany
adopted policy of unrestricted
submarine warfare.
The War
59. ❖Germany sunk tons of Allied ships, but still
lost the gamble.
❖April 6, 1917, United States declared war
against Germany.
❖Vast productive power of Allies,
introduction of the tank against the machine
gun, control of the seas and gradual wearing
down of German and Austrian forces, as
well as American support, meant that
Germany and its allies could not win.
The War
60. ❖Russia withdrew from the war
because of internal problems in
1917.
❖Germany made one last push in
1918, without success.
❖Allies broke through the
German lines in the summer
1918.
The War
61. ❖November 3, 1918 Austria
surrendered.
❖Wilhelm II abdicated on
November 9 and fled to Holland.
❖November 11, 1918 Germans
requested an armistice and the
war was over.
The War
63. ❖Peace conference in Paris.
❖United States took its place
among the great powers and
hopes of the world rested on its
president.
❖January 1918, Wilson issued a
public statement known as the
Fourteen Points.
Peace of Versailles
64. ❖Set out broad principles for
shaping international relations: the
end to secret treaties; the rights of
colonial peoples; a League of
Nations to protect the rights of all
states; and establishing the
principle of nationality for
redrawing the map of Europe.
Peace of Versailles
65. ❖Wilson was idealistic; other key
figures were not.
❖British Prime Minister David
Lloyd George wanted to avoid his
country committed to action on the
continent, French Premier Georges
Clemenceau sought guarantees
against German resurgence.
Peace of Versailles
66. ❖Nations represented at the
Paris Peace Conference
included: new states of
Poland and Czechoslovakia,
many Latin American states,
Japan, China, Siam, and
Liberia.
Peace of Versailles
67. ❖Russia withdrew from the
war following the Bolshevik
Revolution and was not
invited.
❖Nor were the defeated states:
Germany, Austria, Ottoman
Empire, and Bulgaria.
Peace of Versailles
68. ❖No one on the winning side
doubted that Germany and
Austria were responsible for the
war.
❖Alsace-Lorraine was returned
to France, which was also given
the right to use the rich coal
mines of the Saar for 15 years.
Peace of Versailles
69. ❖Recreated state of Poland.
❖Germany lost all colonies,
which were divided among
France, Britain, Belgium,
South Africa, and Japan.
❖Fair? Too harsh?
Peace of Versailles
70. ❖Many resented the German
invasion of Belgium, submarine
warfare, and losses at the front.
❖Germany was permitted to
retain only a small military
force and German troops were
banned from Rhineland.
Peace of Versailles
71. ❖Finally, the treaty included
a “war guilt” clause, stating
that the war had been caused
by “the aggression of
Germany and her allies.”
❖Clause included a large
reparations bill.
Peace of Versailles
72. ❖Treaty did not live up to
Wilson’s idealism, and it was
deeply resented by the losers.
❖Japan counted on more
concession in the East.
❖France wanted Germany
weakened even further.
Peace of Versailles
73. ❖Italy did not receive all the territory
it wanted.
❖Many new states in eastern Europe
were not really based on the
principle of nationality: three million
Germans lived in the Sudetenland
region of Czechoslovakia and half a
million Magyars remained in
Romania.
Peace of Versailles
74. ❖Treaty was to be signed in the
Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of
Versailles, where France
surrendered to Germany in
1871.
❖German representatives
refused to accept it, asserting it
was too harsh.
Peace of Versailles
76. ❖Finally, in May 1919, the Treaty
of Versailles was signed.
❖Other treaties followed with
German allies – Austria,
Bulgaria, Hungary, and Ottoman
Empire.
❖All based on Treaty of
Versailles.
Peace of Versailles
77. ❖New states were created
based on nationality.
❖In addition to Poland, map
of Europe now included
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia,
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia,
and Finland.
Peace of Versailles
