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● Most war generals used outdated war strategies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