The Great WarThe Great Warand the Decline of the Westand the Decline of the West

My friend, you would not tell with such high My friend, you would not tell with such high zestzest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,To children ardent for some desperate glory,The old lie: The old lie: Dulce et decorum estDulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori.Pro patria mori.

- - Wilfred Owen, Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum EstDulce et Decorum Est

Impact of WarImpact of War

Erosion of liberalismErosion of liberalism

A “Lost Generation”A “Lost Generation”

Totalitarianism/complacenceTotalitarianism/complacence

Non-Western nationalismNon-Western nationalism

I. The Proud TowerI. The Proud Tower

The Coming of the First The Coming of the First World WarWorld War

A. A Century ComingA. A Century Coming

1. Eastern Crisis (1875-1878)Decline of the Ottoman Empire

“Sick Man of Europe”

B. Old Friends and New B. Old Friends and New FriendsFriends

1. Three Emperor's League (1873)1. Three Emperor's League (1873)Germany, Russia, and AustriaGermany, Russia, and Austria

- Bismarck- Bismarck

Congress of Congress of ViennaVienna

“Concert of “Concert of Europe”Europe”

II. So what went II. So what went wrong?wrong?

A. Nationalism

Pan-Slavism

B. Legacy of ImperialismB. Legacy of Imperialism

Berlin Conference,Berlin Conference, 1884 1884

““effective occupation”effective occupation”

Corruption of Western Corruption of Western cultureculture

1.1. competition / nationalismcompetition / nationalism

2.2. racism, anti-Semitism, Social racism, anti-Semitism, Social DarwinismDarwinism

3.3. extremist, anti-liberal political extremist, anti-liberal political ideologiesideologies - - anarchism, bolshevism, fascism, militarismanarchism, bolshevism, fascism, militarism

4.4. RelativismRelativism - Is there Truth, constancy in nature or society?- Is there Truth, constancy in nature or society?

C. Industrialization / C. Industrialization / demographicsdemographics

D. The Concert is OverD. The Concert is Over1. Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)1. Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)

Mutual defence alliance against Mutual defence alliance against GermanyGermany

““correction” of Balance of Powercorrection” of Balance of Power

Death in SarajevoDeath in Sarajevo June 1914June 1914

Gavrilo Gavrilo

PrincipPrincip

II. II. The Guns of AugustThe Guns of August

A. The War Europe A. The War Europe ExpectedExpected

1. Rapid 1. Rapid mobilizationmobilization

Schlieffen PlanSchlieffen Plan

2. Romantic war2. Romantic war

Revanche!Revanche!

B. The War Europe GotB. The War Europe Got1.1. (1(1stst) Battle of the Marne) Battle of the Marne

Sept Sept 19141914

Trench warfareTrench warfare

2. “They shall not pass”2. “They shall not pass”Verdun (1916) = 700,000Verdun (1916) = 700,000

The Somme (1916) = 600,000The Somme (1916) = 600,000

J.R.R. J.R.R. TolkienTolkien

““War of the worlds”War of the worlds”

3. Monster 3. Monster machines,machines,chemical warfarechemical warfare

4. Crisis in leadership4. Crisis in leadership

GallipoliGallipoli

Battle of JutlandBattle of Jutland

III. Total WarIII. Total War

A. War on civiliansA. War on civilians

1.The Rape of Belgium1.The Rape of Belgium

Edith Edith

CavellCavell

2. Submarine warfare2. Submarine warfare

1915, 1915, LusitaniaLusitania

B. War on dissentB. War on dissent

1.1. Suppression of LaborSuppression of LaborEugene DebsEugene Debs

2. 2. Irish Easter Rebellion Irish Easter Rebellion 19161916

Those that I fight I do not hate,Those that I fight I do not hate,Those that I guard I do not love.Those that I guard I do not love. - Yeats- Yeats

C. RebellionC. Rebellion1. Bolshevism1. Bolshevism

2. Balfour Declaration, 19172. Balfour Declaration, 1917

3. Lawrence of Arabia3. Lawrence of Arabia

IV. The AftermathIV. The Aftermath

A Lost GenerationA Lost Generation

A. American A. American involvementinvolvement

1.1. U.S. debateU.S. debate

W. J. W. J. BryanBryan

2. Zimmerman 2. Zimmerman TelegramTelegram

B. The Progressives’ B. The Progressives’ WarWar

1. 14 Points1. 14 Points

InternationalismInternationalism

Woodrow Woodrow

WilsonWilson

C. 1918C. 1918

1. Final gamble1. Final gambleLudendorff Offensive (March)Ludendorff Offensive (March)

Wilhelm II abdicates Wilhelm II abdicates (November)(November)

“November Criminals”“November Criminals”

D. Treaty of Versailles D. Treaty of Versailles (1919)(1919)

1. 1. DiktatDiktat - responsibility / reparations- responsibility / reparations

2. League of Nations2. League of Nations

3. Reorganized empires3. Reorganized empires - mandates- mandates

E.Tragedy at VersaillesE.Tragedy at Versailles

1. Allies not interested in 1. Allies not interested in progressive warprogressive war

- disillusionment w/ “democracy”- disillusionment w/ “democracy”

2. US Senate fails to ratify treaty2. US Senate fails to ratify treaty- return to near-isolationism- return to near-isolationism

3. League of Nations too weak to:3. League of Nations too weak to: - contend with Bolshevism in the East- contend with Bolshevism in the East

- establish new balance of power- establish new balance of power

- rebuild Europe- rebuild Europe