the background to world war i “to genetic evolution, the human lineage has added the parallel...
TRANSCRIPT
The Background to World War I
“To genetic evolution, the human lineage has added the parallel track of cultural evolution.”
-Edward Wilson
1800-1870: Britain as the superior industrial and colonial power
p. 547
Empress Dowager Cixi of China1835-1908Most powerful figure in late 19th century China
p. 547
Queen Victoria1837-1901Britain reached at its height of power“The Victorian Age”
Qing Dynasty:1644-1911
• Long age of peace and prosperity• By 1800, population was at 400 million• China was the richest country in the world
(about 1750) and its products flowed around the world– Tea– Silk– Ceramics
A common family Qing Dynasty
Qing Period Landscape Painting
“Summer”Qing Period
1757 - Tartar Envoyspresent their horses to Emperor QianlongQing Period
Cloisonne Ice ChestQing Period / 18th century
Qing PeriodGuanyin
Qing Period Vases
Coming of the West
• Late 1700s: Industrial Revolution in Britain and Adam Smith’s, The Wealth of Nations– Free markets over government intervention
• British began to market opium in China– Reversed the flow of silver
The Opium Trade
• War with Britain in 1839 to stop opium trade• Treaty of Nanjing 1849: open ports and
continued Opium trade– Ceded Hong Kong to Britain (until 1997)
– Foreign missionaries given legal protection to operate in China
• 1894-1895: Defeated militarily by Japanese
1870-1914: Germany and the US as the superior industrial powers
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71Germany took the territories of Alsace-Lorraine, rich in iron ore and coal
Africa, 1914
The Moroccan Crisis
Britain supported France in making Morocco a protectorate in 1904
1905: As a counter-move, Germany recognized the sultan as independent and promised German protection against France
1906: Germany (supported by Austria) lost control of Morocco to France who was supported by Britain and the U.S.
Between 1911-1913, the German army grew from 515,000 members to 866,000 members.
From: The Geography of the Great War, Frank McMurray, PhD
From 1888 onwards, Germany began the Baghdad Railway which was to connect Berlin with the Persian Gulf
Kaiser William IIItalian Cartoon - 1915
Wartime Propaganda
1881: British occupation of Egypt
1830: French occupation of Algiers
1911: Italian occupation ofTunis and Tripoli
As Ottoman power declined, Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary were interested in the Balkans for their own purposes
Greece (1830)
Serbia (1878) Bosnia (1878)Montenegro (1878) Romania (1878) Bulgaria (1878)Herzegovina (1878)
Egypt under British (1882) Albania (1913)
Many subject territories of the Ottoman Empire gained independence:
Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia & Herzegovina on October 6, 1908Serbia dreamed of an independent Slavic State that included Bosnia, BUT
This meant that Serbia’s hopes of an independent state for its people was dashed. (A large Serbian population was living in Bosnia/Herzegovina.)
Russia was against Austria-Hungary’s actions because it supported its fellow Slavs (Serbia). If Russia attacked Austria-Hungary, however, it would have to fight Germany as well.
June 28, 1914Bosnia – Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife assassinated by a Serbian nationalist
Bosnia & Herzegovina had been annexedby Austria-Hungary in 1908
Austria-Hungary declared war against SerbiaJuly 28, 1914
Russia declared war against Austria-Hungary and Germany July 29, 1914
Germany declared war against Russia August 1, 1914
Germany declared war against France (ally of Russia) August 3, 1914
Germany invades neutral Belgium to try to win in France August 4, 1914
Britain declared war against Germany August 4, 1914
Ottomans declared war on Allies, sided with GermanyAugust, 1914
US declares neutralityAugust 18, 1914
US enters WWI (allied to Britain/France/Russia) April 6, 1917
Austrian Archduke assassinated on June 28, 1914
By Christmas, 1914, 400 miles of trench on the Western Front
Photo of soldiers in trenches lined with wooden planks
1914-1918. France. Postcards
Why did the US enter WWI?Was Germany the problem?
1915 – Germany sunk the British Passenger Liner Lusitania by GermanyKilled 128 Americans
1916 – German U-Boat submarine sunk the French ferry Sussex25 American casualties / President Woodrow Wilson issues warning to Germany
Check out: www.americaslibrary.gov/index.htmlAmerican Culture during the time of WWI: A web site posted by the US Library of Congress
January 19, 1917 – Germans introduced unrestricted submarine warfareBy March 21st, 7 American merchant ships had been sunk by Germany
President Woodrow WilsonAugust 7, 1916
April 6, 1917 – The US joins the war to fight with Britain, France and Russia. More than 2 million US soldiers fought in France.
Creator Penfield, Edward, 1866-1925 United States Food Administration United States Committee on Public Information
November 11, 1918 Germany formally surrendered / All nations agreed to work out a peace treaty
1869: Suez Canal restored Middle East to its former importance as crossroads of Eurasia
1914: Panama Canal strengthened military posture of the US
Definition for Kaiser:The monarch who appoints the ChancellorHe is not elected, but inherits his office and claims it as his divine right.He is not responsible to the people.
Definition for the Chancellor:Appoints members of the cabinet such as Minister of the Interior,Minister of Education, etc. Cabinet Ministers are responsible to the kaiser only and not the people.Otto von Bismarck ruled as Chancellor from 1862-1890.