What is the definition of imperialism?
The policy of acquiring and controlling dependent territories carried out by the state
What did Lenin argue?
That a limited number of capitalist monopolies would inevitably lead to war
What 2 historians argues for imperialism being the main factor?
- Marxist historian Hobsbawm
* And Ludwig
Evidence of Imperialism?
What about the British Empire?
- By 1902, 90% of African land was under European control
* British Empire spread out across one quarter of the globe - “the sun never sets on Britain”
What became a euphemism for imperialism?
“The White Man’s Burden” (Kipling, 1899) - implied that World Powers had a moral duty to colonise and civilise territories
What Imperialist tensions existed before WWI?
- The Ottoman Empire (1912 - 13) - “The sick man of Europe” - power vacuum
- Morocco (1905 w/ French influence, 1911 w/ SMS Panther)
- Fashoda (1998)
What is the definition of Nationalism?
An extreme form of patriotism marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries
What historian argued that nationalism was a main cause?
Sydney Fay
What evidence of nationalism was there in France?
What about in Br + Germany?
- “Teachers must above all be told that their first duty is to make their pupils love and understand the fatherland” - The French Government in 1881
- There were youth organisations too: the Boyscouts in Britain and he Jungdeutschlandbund in Germany
What nationalist tensions existed at this time?
- First Balkan War (1912): nationalistic Balkan alliance, Austria and Russia-Serbia relations
- Second Balkan War (1913): Serbia had doubled in size -> nationalistic feeling -> assassination of FF on the 28th June 1914
What are 2 definitions of militarism?
- Excessive emphasis on military strength and ideals
* “The domination of the military man over the civilia” - German Army officer Alfred Vagts
What historian argued that militarism was a main cause?
Sydney Fay
What evidence of militarism was there in Germany from late 1800s to 1914?
- 1898: First German naval law planned for 17 new ships to be produced
- Between 1912-1914 there was a 62% increase in German soldiers
- March 1913: novelle to the Reichstag made to strengthen Army
- Wilhelm II wanted to retain his countries “place in the sun”
What evidence of militarism were there in other European countries from late 1800s to 1914?
- Britain built dreadnought in 1906
- Russia spent $435 million on a huge rearmament program after defeat in Russo Japanese War (1904-5) and was first to mobilise in the July crisis (30th July 1914)
- “gunboat diplomacy” - 1911 Moroccan crisis
- “splendid isolation” of Britain
What Alliances contributed to the outbreak of WWI?
- The Triple Alliance - Germany, Austria, and Italy (1882)
* The Triple Entente - Britain, France, and Russia -developed from the Franco-Russian Alliance (1907)
What historians contributed to the debate about alliances?
- Hew Strachan
* Schmit
What did historian Hew Strachan comment on alliances?
Argued there was no moral commitment to these alliances as by 1914 “nobody was prepared to fight wholeheartedly for peace as an end in itself”
What did historian Schmit comment on alliances?
“Alliances which had served to maintain peace for 40 years when put to the test turned a local quarrel into a global conflict”
What tensions were there in Europe concerning Alliances?
- Weltpolitik (1890)
- TA (1882) & TE (1907)
- Serbia and Russia (Bosnia, 1908)
- July Crisis (1914)
- Franco-Russian Alliance (1892-94)
What historians put emphasis on the July Crisis?
John Keegan and Luigi Albertini
What does historian H.E. Barnes argue?
How could you expand on this in an essay?
Argued that the Franco-Russian War was aggressive after 1912 as France wanted Alsace-Lorraine and Russia wanted Bardanelles Straits
Poincaré was originally from Alsace Lorraine -> desire for revenge after 1971 Franco-Prussian War
• Wall of Mirrows ‘71 - German unification happened here
• Victory Parade in Paria ‘71
• Lost 2 coal provinces
