Europe on the eve of Europe on the eve of World War IWorld War I

On the cusp of modernity?On the cusp of modernity?

AnnouncementsAnnouncements

ListservListserv now operating: now operating:• Subscribe to:Subscribe to:

ES2000@mun.caES2000@mun.ca Following direction in the reading listFollowing direction in the reading list

Reserves:Reserves: problems with new problems with new catalog catalog • Search under author or titleSearch under author or title

Topics Topics for book or film review for book or film review available on Thursdayavailable on Thursday

Competing images:Competing images:

Belle epoch (golden era),Belle epoch (golden era),• peaceful and prosperous vs. poor and peaceful and prosperous vs. poor and

shedding its huddled massesshedding its huddled masses Or seething with conflicts?Or seething with conflicts?

Europe in transition Europe in transition

22ndnd industrial revolution, scientific industrial revolution, scientific advancesadvances• Growth of iron and steel, electrical, chemical Growth of iron and steel, electrical, chemical

industriesindustries• Growth in scale – advent of mass productionGrowth in scale – advent of mass production• Greater spread of industry – further from Greater spread of industry – further from

factors of productionfactors of production growth of literacy, newspapersgrowth of literacy, newspapers urbanizationurbanization Increased interconnectedness via railroad, Increased interconnectedness via railroad,

telegraphtelegraph

Some trendsSome trends

Increased prosperity for middle & upper Increased prosperity for middle & upper classesclasses

Increased mobilization & class tensions: Increased mobilization & class tensions: • Trade unions & working class parties emergingTrade unions & working class parties emerging• Demand better conditions, political rightsDemand better conditions, political rights• Following Marx, Socialist parties alsoFollowing Marx, Socialist parties also

demand redistribution of wealth and power,demand redistribution of wealth and power, promote an ‘inevitable’ revolutionpromote an ‘inevitable’ revolution

Ongoing emigration of ‘huddled masses’ Ongoing emigration of ‘huddled masses’ from southern, eastern, northern Europefrom southern, eastern, northern Europe

What kind of Europe?What kind of Europe?

Liberal and constitutional?Liberal and constitutional? Conservative, maintaining the position Conservative, maintaining the position

of the upper classes?of the upper classes? Socialist, with economic and political Socialist, with economic and political

equality emerging from an inevitable equality emerging from an inevitable revolution and dictatorship of the revolution and dictatorship of the proletariat?proletariat?

States and empires v. national self-States and empires v. national self-determination?determination?

NationalismNationalism

View that each people, View that each people, defined by defined by common history, language or common history, language or religionreligion, should have its own nation, should have its own nation

In EuropeIn Europe, nationalism either, nationalism either used as a used as a constructconstruct to weld existing to weld existing

political entities together, political entities together, oror used as aused as argumentrgument to carve nations to carve nations

from older multinational entitiesfrom older multinational entities

The Political OrderThe Political Order A Europe of states and multinational empiresA Europe of states and multinational empires

http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/20centry.htm#europehttp://users.erols.com/mwhite28/20centry.htm#europe Growing interaction and involvement with each Growing interaction and involvement with each

otherother• Balance of power politicsBalance of power politics• Race for colonies Race for colonies

Growing state apparatusGrowing state apparatus Increased government involvement in economic Increased government involvement in economic

life, provision of welfarelife, provision of welfare Varying degrees of mobilization and popular Varying degrees of mobilization and popular

involvementinvolvement

Full map of Europe AD 1900Full map of Europe AD 1900

http://www.euratlas.com/http://www.euratlas.com/history_europe/history_europe/europe_map_1900.htmleurope_map_1900.html

Constitutional states: Constitutional states:

Gov’ts responsible to parliamentary Gov’ts responsible to parliamentary majoritiesmajorities

Broader enfranchisement, shift (from Broader enfranchisement, shift (from property-based suffrage toward universal property-based suffrage toward universal manhood suffragemanhood suffrage

Challenge of organized working classChallenge of organized working class cont’d predominance of upper classcont’d predominance of upper class

UK, France, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands ScandinaviaUK, France, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands Scandinavia

Autocratic states:Autocratic states: Germany, Austria-Hungary, RussiaGermany, Austria-Hungary, Russia

Preservation of earlier bases of Preservation of earlier bases of power, sometimes (but not always) in power, sometimes (but not always) in modern guisemodern guise

Contrast between Contrast between • Imperial Germany with universal but Imperial Germany with universal but

unequal manhood suffrageunequal manhood suffrage• Russia with incipient parliamentary Russia with incipient parliamentary

institutions -- but just barelyinstitutions -- but just barely

BritainBritain

Industrialized: cradle of industrial revolutionIndustrialized: cradle of industrial revolution Parliamentary governmentParliamentary government Steadily expanding suffrageSteadily expanding suffrage Competition between Conservatives and Competition between Conservatives and

Liberals (Labour established only in 1900)Liberals (Labour established only in 1900)• Liberals: a party of political and social reform, Liberals: a party of political and social reform,

willing to grant home rule to Irelandwilling to grant home rule to Ireland• Conservatives: willing to accept certain reforms, Conservatives: willing to accept certain reforms,

yet still anxious to preserve older orderyet still anxious to preserve older order

Sources of conflict in BritainSources of conflict in Britain

Position of House of Lords: its ability Position of House of Lords: its ability to veto budget or social reformsto veto budget or social reforms

Women’s suffrageWomen’s suffrage Ireland: Home Rule?Ireland: Home Rule? Economic issues: distribution of Economic issues: distribution of

wealth wealth • Power and who should have itPower and who should have it

Political change in Britain:Political change in Britain:

Liberals come to power in 1906Liberals come to power in 1906• press social reforms: health & press social reforms: health &

occupational safety measures, pensions, occupational safety measures, pensions, 8 hr day for miners, labour exchanges, 8 hr day for miners, labour exchanges, unemployment insurance in selected unemployment insurance in selected industriesindustries

Problems funding programs & naval Problems funding programs & naval expendituresexpenditures

Conflict over budget & position of Conflict over budget & position of House of Lords, 1909-1911House of Lords, 1909-1911

19091909• Lords reject David Lloyd George’s Lords reject David Lloyd George’s

budgetbudget• Dislike estate & luxury taxesDislike estate & luxury taxes

19101910• New election New election • Liberals (with Labour & Irish nationalists) Liberals (with Labour & Irish nationalists)

retain majorityretain majority• Lords concede budgetLords concede budget

Parliament Act of 1911 Parliament Act of 1911

Liberals seek to limit Lords’ veto Liberals seek to limit Lords’ veto Parliament Act of 1911 passed after Parliament Act of 1911 passed after

• further election &further election &• George V threatens to create additional George V threatens to create additional

peers: peers: Reduces veto to a delaying powerReduces veto to a delaying power

Bottom lineBottom line

Growing social tensions, industrial Growing social tensions, industrial militancy, spurred on by actions militancy, spurred on by actions elsewhereelsewhere

Increasingly militant demands for Increasingly militant demands for women’s suffragewomen’s suffrage

Irish question simmeringIrish question simmering Political response: too little, too late?Political response: too little, too late?

FranceFrance

A republic, but a divided societyA republic, but a divided society• Politically fragmentedPolitically fragmented• large # of parties, most weakly organizedlarge # of parties, most weakly organized

Divided about: Divided about: • Political authority - monarchy v. republicPolitical authority - monarchy v. republic• Separation of church and stateSeparation of church and state• Centre (Paris) vs. peripheryCentre (Paris) vs. periphery• Distribution of wealthDistribution of wealth

Stalemated society: governed by weak, Stalemated society: governed by weak, National Assembly-dominated cabinetsNational Assembly-dominated cabinets

Imperial GermanyImperial Germany

Unified under Prussia in 1871Unified under Prussia in 1871 Federal, but dominated by PrussiaFederal, but dominated by Prussia An empire, with substantial power An empire, with substantial power

exercised by the Kaiser (emperor) exercised by the Kaiser (emperor) and his Chancellor (prime minister)and his Chancellor (prime minister)

Universal but unequal suffrageUniversal but unequal suffrage Monarchial constitutionalismMonarchial constitutionalism::

• constitutional government, but constitutional government, but fundamentally autocraticfundamentally autocratic

Political cleavages in Imperial Political cleavages in Imperial GermanyGermany

Dominant position of nobilityDominant position of nobility Bourgeoisie (upper middle class) seeks Bourgeoisie (upper middle class) seeks

recognitionrecognition Protestant country with large Catholic Protestant country with large Catholic

minorityminority Rapid industrialization creates large Rapid industrialization creates large

working class:working class:• Mobilized by Social Democratic Party (SPD)Mobilized by Social Democratic Party (SPD)• Orthodox Marxist party, Orthodox Marxist party,

advocated inevitable revolution advocated inevitable revolution worked for universal & equal suffrage, 8 hour day… worked for universal & equal suffrage, 8 hour day…

Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary

Dual monarchyDual monarchy A liberal empire,A liberal empire, ButBut

• Few connecting Few connecting institutionsinstitutions

• Multinational empire – Multinational empire – numerous peoples ruled numerous peoples ruled either by Austria or either by Austria or HungaryHungary

• Rising nationalismRising nationalism• Decreasing ability to Decreasing ability to

control or containcontrol or contain

Nationalities:Nationalities:• Austrians (Germanic)Austrians (Germanic)• Hungarians (Magyars)Hungarians (Magyars)• CzechsCzechs• Slovaks,Slovaks,• SlovenesSlovenes• PolesPoles• UkrainiansUkrainians• SerbsSerbs• CroatsCroats• RomaniansRomanians

http://users.erols.com/mwhttp://users.erols.com/mwhite28/austhung.htmhite28/austhung.htm

RussiaRussia A traditional autocracyA traditional autocracy Police state, limited participationPolice state, limited participation Primarily agrarianPrimarily agrarian Growing challenges, limited capacity for Growing challenges, limited capacity for

reformreform• Attempts at reform insufficient to contain Attempts at reform insufficient to contain

demands for change or defuse more radical demands for change or defuse more radical elementselements

• Reforms introduced after defeat after Reforms introduced after defeat after Russo-Japanese War (1904), Revolution of Russo-Japanese War (1904), Revolution of 1905 subsequently reversed1905 subsequently reversed

Toward World War IToward World War I

A Europe of nation-states and A Europe of nation-states and multinational empiresmultinational empires

All plagued with internal problems, some All plagued with internal problems, some more serious than othersmore serious than others

Although some (e.g. Russia) isolated from Although some (e.g. Russia) isolated from others, all engaged with each other -- others, all engaged with each other -- • entangled with in alliances, balance of power entangled with in alliances, balance of power

politics – ‘the great game’politics – ‘the great game’• War – an extension of politicsWar – an extension of politics