IMPERIALISM, ALLIANCES, AND WAR

THE DEVILFISH IN EGYPTIAN WATERS (1882)

THE “NEW” IMPERIALISM

Economic Motives: The quest for self-sufficiency Access to raw materials New markets for finished products

Political Motives: Strategic value of colonial possessionsNationalistic fervor drives imperialism:

Colonies are “for elections”Colonies as an outlet for surplus population –

conveniently help to alleviate potential political discontent of the masses

THE “NEW” IMPERIALISM

Cultural Motives: Missionaries seek to

spread Christianity Increasing

“paternalistic” European attitudes draws more Europeans to explore “uncharted territory” and bring “civilization” to “less fortunate people”

THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA

“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Henry Stanley and King Leopold II of Belgium

trigger the Berlin Conference (1884 - 1885) Technology drives scramble - inevitable ability

to dominate less technologically advanced societies

Village of Fashoda: French vs. British – diplomatic crisis indicative of mounting European tension

The Boer War: Prelude to modern “total war” Consequences of the “New” Imperialism:

Destruction of native culture Creates foundation for a global economy Intensifies European rivalries

MAP OF AFRICA: 1914

IMPERIALISM IN ASIA

MANIA:

M: MilitarismA: AlliancesN: NationalismI: ImperialismA: Assassination

MY THE TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE… Bismarck’s Foreign Policy: Isolate France Kaiser Wilhelm II’s Foreign Policy: Dismiss

BismarckTriple Alliance (Austria, Germany, Italy) Dual Alliance (France and Russia)

Great Britain: From “Splendid Isolation” to bitter rivalry

Boer War (South African War) sends Britain shopping for allies Mend relationship with US Sign formal alliance with the “new and

improved” Japan (Meiji Restoration; 1902) Secure Anglo-French Entente (1904)

EUROPE: DIVIDED

First Moroccan Crisis (1905): Wilhelm II declares Morocco

an independent state Calls international

conference to settle the “Moroccan Question”

Leaves Europe in the midst of a diplomatic crisis/revolution

Anglo-Russian Entente (1907): Leads to the formation of the Triple Entente (Britain, Russia, France)

THE SHOT HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD

“I am a Yugoslav nationalist, aiming for the unification of all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state, but it must be free from Austria” – Gavrilo Princip

June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated – chaos ensues

THE CHANGING NATURE OF WAR

Schlieffen Plan: Avoid two-front war by attacking France through Belgium

First Battle of the Marne (1914): Effectively saves France from German takeover

Trench Warfare: Response to the realities of modern industrial warfare

THE CHANGING NATURE OF WAR

THE FUTILITY OF WAR

Battle of Verdun: German campaign that totaled 700,000 casualties and ends in a draw

Battle of the Somme: British offensive; ends with a 7 mile gain in favor of the AlliesCasualties:

British: 420,000French: 200,000German: 600,000

"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an

adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even

though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.“

- All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque

PUTTING THE “TOTAL” IN “TOTAL WAR”

German General Erich

Hindenburg explains that sure

victory can be achieved only

“…if all the treasures of our

soil that agriculture and

industry can produce are used

exclusively for the conduct of

War…All other considerations

must come second” War Raw Materials Board:

Walter Rathenau Auxiliary Service Law

British Ministry of Munitions:

Organizes private industry to

produce war goods France: Right of free speech

revoked War Labor Board and War

Industries Board: Regulate

industry, labor disputes, and

production National conscription renders

unemployment nearly obsolete Prestige of labor unions increases Alters role of women = Suffrage Ultimately, war affords

government the opportunity to

more overtly intervene in

private sector

CAN THERE BE PEACE? April 1917 : US enters war Second Battle of the Marne (July 1918):

Turns the tide of war in favor of the Allies January 1919: Over 70 delegates from 27 nations

meet in Paris to begin work on the final peace agreement

Initial idealism exemplified by Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points: Open diplomacy Reduction in armaments Freedom of commerce and trade National self-determination Establishment of a League of Nations

NOVEMBER 11, 1918:THE ARMISTICE IS SIGNED

WORLD WAR I: CASUALTIES

01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,0006,000,0007,000,0008,000,0009,000,000

10,000,000RussiaGermanyAustria-HungaryFranceGreat BritainItalyTurkeyUS

THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Germany’s colonies in Africa and Asia are divided between France, Britain, and Japan

Germany cedes Alsace-Lorraine to France and former Polish territories are returned to the new Polish state

Article 231: the infamous “war-guilt clause” – Germany accepts full responsibility for the war and agrees to pay reparations; limit army to 100,000

GERMAN TERRITORIAL LOSSES

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MAP OF EUROPE

From Austria-

Hungary and

Russia emerge:

Poland,

Czechoslovakia,

Finland, the Baltic

States, and

Yugoslavia

The Ottoman

Empire is divided

between the victors

PEACE AND THE MIDDLE EAST?

“Lawrence of Arabia” leads

Arab soldiers in a successful

guerilla war against the Turks

Similar success achieved in Iraq

(British capture Baghdad in 1917)

September 1918: Invasion of Syria

– set foundation for a unified Arab

state with vague British support

Sykes-Picot Agreement of

1916 – Division of land between

France and Britain

GENERAL SYRIAN CONGRESS

Balfour Declaration

(1917) – further angers

Arab nationalists

Arab nationalists meet in

Damascus as the General

Syrian Congress (1919):

Goal: Obtain political

independence – declares

independence of Syria and

Iraq

As a result, France invades

Syria and takes Damascus

in July 1920

TREATY OF LAUSANNE

Treaty of Lausanne: Recognizes the political independence of Turkey - Mustafa Kemal Affords the opportunity to

modernize/Westernize Declares Turkey a republic Decrees the separation of church and state Establishes a secular public school system Women afforded rights never before seen in

the Middle East By Kemal’s death, moves Turkey closer to

active involvement in European affairs (exemplified, today, by current effort to join EU as a full-fledged member nation)