stearns, chapters 28 and 29. nationalism you’re the best around: nothin’s gonna ever bring you...
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WORLD WAR I AND THE INTER-WAR YEARS
Stearns, Chapters 28 and 29
Causes Nationalism
You’re the best around: nothin’s gonna ever bring you down! Competition over trade, territory, and prestige. All sides eager to show how awesome they are.
Industrialism European countries are richer and stronger than ever before. Arms races ensue, and
no one has any idea that—given the new technologies--war will be mutually destructive.
Encourages expansion for access to cheap raw materials.
Imperialism Didn’t I just mention competition over trade and territory? Leads to conflict not just between imperial powers but between conquerors and the
conquered. Think Balkans.
Jingoism (Militarism) All of the above create an aggressive mindset. Encourages webs of alliance that will, once fighting starts between Austria and
Serbia, lead to a general European/World War.
Balkan Powder Keg Goes Boom;Insane Web of Alliances Kicks In Serbian nationalist assassinates Franz
Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary mobilizes for war against
Serbia. Germany offers a carte blanche. Russia (remember Pan-Slavism) mobilizes
for war against Austria. Germany mobilizes for war against
Russia, which means it invades France by going through Belgium.
British mobilize for war against Germany.
Two Alliances
Triple Entente/The Allies England France Russia (And each country’s colonies) Britain and France will promise Italy territory from
Austria-Hungary if it jumps in.
Triple Alliance/Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire (And each country’s colonies)
New Stuff
Repeating rifles Machine guns Mustard gas Heavy artillery Tanks Airplanes Uboats Extreme casualties
Bolt Action Rifle
The main weapon used by British soldiers in the trenches was the bolt-action rifle.
A trained soldier could fire 15 rounds per minute, with an effective range of 1400 meters.
Try to imagine what this means for combat…
Machine Guns
Machine guns needed a crew of 4-6 men to work them and had to be on a flat surface.
Fire-power of 100 guns. The real game changer and led to trench
warfare. Notice what they’re wearing?
Heavy Artillery
The largest field guns needed up to 12 men to work them.
Longest range: German Paris gun—75 miles!
What the Guns Did
Gas
Germans use chlorine gas at the battle of Ypres, 1915. causes a burning sensation in the throat and chest pains. Death by suffocation (very painful) Use limited by weather. Mustard gas was deadlier. Fired into the trenches in shells. Colourless; takes 12 hours to take effect. Causes blistering skin, vomiting, sore eyes, internal and
external bleeding. Death can take up to 5 weeks.
Exposure to Gas
Tanks a lot
Answer to machine guns and trenches First tank had a three man crew and maximum speed of 3mph. Later tanks could carry 10 men, had a revolving turret and could
go 4mph.
Aeroplanes
First for bombs and reconnaissance Later fighter aircraft armed with machine guns, bombs and
sometimes canons. Fights between two planes in the sky became known as
‘dogfights’
U-boats and Torpedos
Used widely by Germans Attempted to cut of trade to Britain Sank the Lusitania in 1915
The War in Europe Western Front
Germans against French and British (U.S. too by 1917) German advance stopped at the Marne River, France, and trench
warfare sets in. War of attrition—mass production of modern weapons leads to
unprecedented casualties on both sides. Automatic rifles, machine guns, landmines, long-range artillery, mustard
gas, submarines, aircraft, tanks. 50% of all 20 million combatants were killed or injured.
Eastern Front Germany and Austria-Hungary against Russia. More mobile than the war in the West; Russians not able to stop
German war machine. Only advantage in numbers keeps them going. Russian failures on the battlefield will fuel political crisis in St.
Petersburg. Kerensky and the Duma will force the Tsar’s abdication, but Lenin’s Bolsheviks will overthrow their provisional government.
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are needed to see thi s pi cture.
The War Elsewhere (It was a World War, after all)
British dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) supply troops to the bulk Ottoman front in the Middle East (Gallipoli and defense of Suez Canal).
British and French non-settler colonies provide soldiers (especially India)
British naval blockade prevents trade with Germany.
Germans establish U-boat blockade of Britain. Japan joins the Allies; attacks German colonies.
Home Fronts
Those not in the trenches kept the war going. More hateful of the enemy supportive of the war effort. No real understanding of what was happening.
State control of key industries. Executive branches gain power at the expense of
legislative bodies. Dissent suppressed (Bertrand Russell in Britain, socialists in
Germany) Media censorship; propaganda departments.
Labor unrest (especially Russia) Women take on new roles in the workforce Rationing in Britain and France; downright famine in
Russia. Armenian genocide.
How It Ended
The Russians surrender to the Germans; Germany able to throw hundreds of thousands of soldiers at the British and French in an attempt to break the trench stalemate.
The United States entry into the war probably prevented German success.
Final German assault fails, Germany agrees to an armistice.
Treaty of Versailles
Germany forced to accept harsh terms. War guilt clause Demilitarization Reparations Loss of territory
Colonies Poland Alsace and Lorraine
League of Nations formed New Countries formed; Old Empires gone
Auf Wiedersehn, Kaisertum Österreich! Ottoman Empire collapses Russia not a part of the peace process (they’d surrendered to Germany,
after all) Japan and Italy gain nothing. (How do you think they felt?)
Promises to non-white colonials broken.
Q ui ckTi me™ and aG raphi cs decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi cture.
Effects of the War
European Imperialism on the ropes Nationalist movements (where?) Britain and France wax eloquently about self-
determination but have no intention of backing off. European war demonstrates the fallacy of Europeans
as a great civilizing race.
German humiliation will simmer and then boil over.
The U.S. plays in the big leagues now. Industry booming; European governments owe $.
British India
Indian nationalism will establish pattern for resistance amongst European colonials in Asia and Africa. National Congress party Western-educated leadership Urban centered: Bombay, Poona, Calcutta, Madras British obtuseness and racism unifies Indians, creates a
proto-national identity B.G. Tilek more militant than Mohandas Gandhi. Hindu communalists advocate violence; terrorist-style Gandhi appeals to moderate, educated people; emphasis
on non-violent protest. Gandhi and his followers make it expensive and morally
challenging for the British to maintain control over India.
Nonviolent and Constitutionalist Decolonization Efforts
Starts even before WWI National Congress Party leads the way.
Initially loyal to British and exclusive to Indian elite. Starts off simply wanting more opportunities for
educated Indians. Morley-Minto reforms (1909) expand political
rights for educated Indians Montagu-Chelmsford reforms (1919) increase
powers of all-Indian legislatures.
Rowlatt Act (1919) restricts Indian civil rights (e.g. freedom of press)
Gandhi
Gained protest experience resisting racist laws in South Africa. It’s here he begins developing his method.
Satyagraha gives Gandhi the moral high ground, forces British to be beasts or grant concessions.
Helps unite diverse Indians under the umbrella of colonial resistance. Offended some by insisting too much unity (if that
makes any sense). Tells Sikhs they are Hindus (whether they like it or not)
Unable to resolve the divisions between Hindu and Muslims.
Egypt
Egypt had a tradition of nationalism Mohammad Ali against the Ottomans Resistance to British control. Constitution in 1913, expel British in 1919 Led by the effendi (middle/business class) and journalists
Dinshawai incident (1906) “exemplified the racial arrogance displayed by most of the European colonizers.” Pigeon meat important to peasants, but a sport for British Accidental shooting, mob reacts, fire into mob, four hangings
By 1913, resistance forced the British to grant a constitution and representative parliament.
Wafd party and 1919 revolt;1922 process of independence begins
Egypt remains impoverished with elites in control, leading to Nassar’s coup and social revolution (1952)
Middle East
Kamal Ataturk establishes a Western Turkish republic. Britain and France retain control over the rest of the
former Ottoman territories, calling them “Mandates” Breaks wartime promises Incites Arab nationalism
Rise of Zionism calls for formation of a Jewish state in Palestine. This also angers Arabs Balfour Declaration Dreyfus Affair Herzl and the World Zionist Organization Initially opposed by German Jews who enjoyed citizenship!
Africa
Men had enlisted as soldiers, hoping the mother-country would grant independence.
When the British and French deny nationhood, protests ensue.
W.E.B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey The American “Back to Africa” movement,
inspired by civil rights issues in the USA. Pan-African movement sparks anti-
colonial sentiments.
Changes for Women
Education and Western reforms enabled several females to lead nationalist movements.
In the West, women had been essential workers on the homefront. Their competent work will eliminate objections to suffrage in the U.S., Britain, and France.
World War I as a Turning Point
Decline of Europe; Rise of U.S. and Japan Formation of the Soviet Union Women enter politics and the workplace League of Nations Credence to self-determination and the
rise of nationalistic movements. Europe may still be the “Daddy” continent, but the young’uns were growing up fast.
Who Was?
the last Tsar? the Bolshevik leader? the Duma’s leader? the last Kaiser? the U.S. president? the French premier? the British prime minister? the Indian nationalist who’s nationalism hinged on
Hinduism’s ancient traditions and threatened violent rebellion?
the Indian nationalist who mastered non-violent protest against British overlords?
the founder of the World Zionist Organization?