Descent into the AbyssWorld War I and the Crisis of the European Global Order
by: Rachel Levy, Emma Derstine, Caitlin Bickel
The Coming of the Great War
● Balkan Crisis● Assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand○ Heightened Austrio-
Hungarian/Serbian tensions- War declared
● Dysfunctional Diplomacy-Communication between Wilhem (Ger) and Nicholas II (Rus)
● Germany strikes first○ Avoid a war on two fronts-
Schlieffen Plan
Outbreak of the War
The Long March to War• Fear of Germany
o Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Triple Ententeo Early 1900’so Britain, France, &
Russia
• Central Powerso Germany, Austria-
Hungary, & Italyo Italy not necessarily
loyal
• Headed towards waro Imperialist rivalrieso Jingoismo Scramble for territoryo Naval Rivalryo Domestic tensions
Labor unrest, strikes, socialist parties
A World at War
I. The War in Europe● Leads to stalemate due to Germany’s failed
“quick strike”○ France regroups and British supports
● Trench warfare ● New ways to die: Machine guns, improved
artillery,poison gas and barbed wire ○ Rats and lice lived in trenches ○ Uncivilized lifestyle in trenches
● Most war generals used outdated war strategies
II. The War in the East and Italy● Russia generally had the largest amounts
of deaths ○ Peasants were illiterate and poorly
trained ○ No meritocracy (aristocratic rulers) ○ Weapons controlled my upper Russian
class● Austro-Hungarians
○ Required to battle the emperor● General idea
○ Uneducated leaders and politicians ○ Annoyed citizens
III. The Home Fronts in Europe● Soldiers slowly became frustrated with
citizens ○ Leaders protected from harm
● The government takes control○ Companies take over to avoid protest ○ Propaganda departments
● Changes within society ○ Union chiefs able to mobilize the
working class○ Protests against war ○ Shortages of goods ○ Women given more power
IV. The War Outside Europe● All of Europe had colonies(except for Austria-
Hungary) ○ Colonies used for manpower and resources
● War spreads to West/East Africa, China & Middle East○ South America wasn't really involved
● The war in Britain○ Britain navy took control of trans-Atlantic cable
lines along with cutting off supplies from Germany
○ Allied with Japan in 1902 ■ Germany kicked out of Shandong peninsula
● The war in Germany ○ Young Turks enter war in 1915
● US slowly becomes global power
V. Endgame: The Return of the Offensive Warfare● Germany's success in early 1918
○ Later Hitler would claim Germany ● Many generals surrender
○ Fear of army collapsing and rebellion● Costs of the war
○ Millions died■ Many died after the war as well due to
illness
Failed Peace
I. Different Perspectives• French want their
losses avengedo Georges Clemenceauo Peace conference
working against Germany
• Americans want peaceo Woodrow Wilson
League of nations Self determination
• British want to mediateo David Lloyd Georgeo Tries to balance
Clemenceau and Wilson
II. Peace of Paris● Diktat
○ “An order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent”■ Dictated nation ■ Germany must comply
● Breaking of the Austro-Hungarian Empire ○ Germanic Austria cut
off● New nations begin to
receive parts of Germany
III. Problems● Wartime promises made to Arabs were ignored
○ Led to the division of Empires ● China left to defend itself ● Ho Chi Minh
○ Vietnamese ruler ○ Responded to Woodrow Wilson’s treaty that ended WWI
● League of Nations○ Vetoed by the US congress○ Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, etc. all withdrew from the
league
World War I and the Nationalist Assault on the European Colonial Order
I. India • Under British Raj• Industrialized→
beneficial for WWI• War showed weakness
o Questioned Racial Superiority
• Themes in Independence Movements:o Western Educationo Charismatic Leaderso Peaceful Protesting
● Indian National Congress Party- 1885○ initially ineffective○ minimal membership○ loyal to British, not
India● Created a Common
Indian Identity○ barriers- ethnic
diversity○ solution- common
enemy
II. Social Foundations of a Mass Movement● Beginnings of a
Protest:○ Better treatment for
British investors○ Indian resources-
depleted ○ Poverty rates
increasing● British = Enemy
III. The Rise of Militant Nationalism● BG Tilak
○ Restoration of Hinduism
○ Reverse Womens Suffrage
○ Meetings at “Festivals”
○ Militant Hinduism (ironic)
● British imprisoned him, exiled to Burma
● Bengalis- terrorist communities○ bomb British
buildings, etc● Morley-Minto Reforms
1909
IV. Emergence of Gandhi • India very helpful with
war efforts o Were promised
independence by the British
o 1919 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
o Rowlatt Act
• Mohandas Gandhi o nonviolent protest
Satyagraha Weakens British Hindu
V. Egypt and the Rise of Nationalism in the Middle East• Lord Cromer
o attempts at reform economic-Khedives in debt Ayan-retain wealth
• Middle Class-Effendio opened a newspapero Congress Party- 1890
• Dinshawi Incidento British shot Prayer
Leader’s wife● 1913- Constitution for
Wealthy class to be gov’t○ British intervened, took
over
VI. War and Nationalist Movements in the Middle East● Ottoman Empire- No mas!● Turkey up for grabs
○ Mustafa Kemal● British/French withdrew promised
independence for the Middle East○ McMahon-Hussein
● Undermined Hussein’s authority● Problem with Palestine
○ Pogroms in Russia forced Jews out- Diaspora- no where to go
○ British/French promised this land to the Jewish people (Balfour Declaration)
○ Displaced Jews and Arabs with nowhere to go
VII. Revolt in Egypt 1919● Peasant unrest● Waf’d Party- Nationalist
Liberal Party○ Student Riots○ Women involved
● Independence in 1922
Flag of the Waf’d Party
● Prior to WWI- Loyalty to British/French● Relationship during war turned hostile
○ forced labor○ starvation○ economic suffering
● pan-African Movement● Negritude Literary Movement
○ Political Organization■ Representative Gov’t
○ Newspaper
VIII. The Beginnings of the Liberation Struggle in Africa
Global Connections● Effects of WWI in
Europe○ hurt economy○ growing European
powers○ increased political
tensions○ Labor Parties on the
prowl● Effects of WWI
Worldwide○ Breakthrough in
Women's Suffrage○ Scientific Theory○ Nationalism >
Imperialism○ Racial Supremacy
Theory● Russia, US, Japan-
want Western Europe to decline
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