The Causes of World War One

 

  

A.  Economic

·         Imperialism at home and abroad - In one generation

·         Africa - direct possession (1902: only Liberia, founded by former American slaves remains independent)

·         Asia and Near East: economic and diplomatic pressure

·         Economic concessions and extra-territorial privileges: Ottoman Empire - most vulnerable; China - most vulnerable; Japan - modernizing rapidly; India - firmly in British hands;

·         Importance to Europe: keeps fat on European economy; colonial rule a reproach to democracy; encouraged feelings of national and racial superiority;

·         "Pan" movements - a form of imperialism

·         Technology and science: materialism

 

B.  Social

·         Human welfare: serfdom gone (except in Russia); surgery and anaesthetics perfected; life span longer; Victorian middle class morality in decline; spread of literacy.

·         Peace movements: "pipe dream of peace".

·         Aristocratic remainders.

·         Neglect of the proletariat.

 

C.  Intellectual

1. European cultural heritage

2. Ideologies of progress:

·         conservatism - delaying action not progress (aristocracy)

·         liberalism - freedom, law, representative government (upper middle class)

·         radicalism - remove class distinctions, anti-clerical (lower middle class)

·         socialism - collectivist doctrine (city workers)

·         new left – syndicalism

 

D.  Political

1. The nation-state: language and race

2. Parliamentary government

3. Parties:

·         tied to class and ideology

·         lack of responsibility

·         too many of them

 

4. Differing forms:

·         separation of powers only in the USA

·         king or president a figurehead in Britain and France

·         search for majorities in parliament

·         Britain: the cabinet held the whip

·         France and Italy: parliament held the whip

 

5. Extension of the suffrage

6. Exceptions to democratization:

·         Germany: only has external form of it, the Reichstag is a "debating chamber"

·         Austria-Hungary: maintaining monarchy in polyglot confusion

·         Russia: a struggle between Duma and Ministry

 

E.  Military

1. Popular militarism:

·         Boer War

·         naval building race: Admiral Tirpitz - risk theory

·         Three-year army law: France 1913

·         Tripoli campaign in Italy, 1911

 

2. Comparative figures on army increase, 1870-1914:

 

	1870	1914
Russia	700,000	1,300,000
France	380,000	846,000
Germany	403,000	812,000
Austria-Hungary	247,000	424,000
Britain	302,000	381,000
Italy	334,000	305,000
Japan	70,000	250,000
U.S.A.	37,000	98,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Military expenditure:

·         Germany and Russia had the largest budgets in 1914

·         Britain and Germany spent most per capita:

o   Germany: $8.52

o   Britain: $8.53

o   U.S.A.: $0.32

 

F. Diplomatic

1. Alliance System:

·         1870 - 1890: Bismarck in control

·         1890 - 1907: balance against Germany

 

2. Testing the system:

·         Russo-Japanese War, 1904-5

·         First Morocco Crisis, 1905-6

·         Bosnian Annexation Crisis, 1908

·         Second Morocco Crisis, 1911

·         Haldane Mission, 1912

 

3. Tensions in the Balkans:

·         Hapsburg Empire in turmoil

·         South Slav Problem

·         First Balkan War, 1912-13

·         Second Balkan War, 1913