political and social tensions in Europe.
○ Nationalists in Ireland sparked an independence movement called “Home Rule” while their opponents Unionists wanted to remain a part of Britain. These groups were tied to religious groups → unionists tended to be Protestant, while Nationalists were overwhelmingly catholic.
○ Dreyfus Affair: A Jewish officer was wrongly convicted of telling military secrets to the Germans → revealed France’s anti-Semitism
○ Some politicians worked to exclude the Catholic Church’s power in France.
○ When Russia lost in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904, a revolution started in Russia demanding the formation of the Duma, which would transform Russia into a constitutional monarchy.
○ Germany: issues with workers’ rights
○ Austria-Hungary: nationality issues.
■ dominance of the Magyar language created hostility among other nations
● Bismarck:
○ signed the dual alliance w/ Austria-Hungary, “a military treaty” meant to be defensive.
○ He then signed the Reinsurance Treaty w/ Russians to make clear that there is no hostile intent towards Russia.
● Unfortunately, Kaiser Wilhelm II pushed Bismarck out of the office and ignored the Russian treaty, so Russia joined the French military to fight together if the Germans attacked. And Great Britain joined later.
● Kaiser decided to build a high seas fleet in 1897 → turned Britain and Germany's relationship more hostile
● However the war started after the crisis in the Balkans:
○ Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Bosnia.
○ Austria-Hungary annexed Bosina and Herzegovina because they didn’t want them to be under Serbian rule.
● July 28th, 1914 - Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
● Austria-Hungary was aided by Germany, and Serbia was aided by Russia.
● Russia started the process of mobilizing. They ignored germany’s warning
● August 1st, 1914 - Germany declared war on Russia.
● The Germans wanted to knock France out of the war, so they started with taking over Belgium, a new nation that was created in 1830, which led Britain to join along with France and Russia.
○ This strategy was a success. They threatened Paris, which led to the flee of the French army. After the German crossed the Marne River, a french army led by General Joffre counterattacked (First Battle of the Marne)
● Jean Jaures, the leader of the French Socialist party, spoke out against the war. He was shot on the eve of the war by a french nationalists.
● People thought that this war would last for a short time like the others, but because of the weapon production advancement, it lasted for a long time.
● The pioneers of the new Bolshevik state sued Germany for peace
○ → Armistice Day, Nov. 11th, 1918
● Kaiser Wilhelm fled Germany
● Germany created a new gov’t, the Weimar Republic, which was its first democratic government
Casualties and costs:
a. 20 Million People wounded.
b. $338 billion was the cost of the war.
Treaty of Versailles:
a. Signed on June, 28, 1919
b. The U.S. president Wilson proposed a provision in his 14 points aka PEACE.
c. But the French Premier Georges Clemenceau wanted Germany to be punished because the French suffered the most.
Treaty of Versailles Provisions:
a. Overseas colonies were taken and became Mandates to the League of Nations
b. Mandate = territory loosely administered by a foreign power under the guidance of the League
c. Syria & Lebanon were turned over to France
d. Iraq & Palestine were turned over to Great Britain
e. Alsace-Lorraine is returned to France
Reparations:
a. **Germany had to pay 132 billion marks ($33 billion dollars; $269 billion today!)
b. Limiting Germany’s army to 100,000 men
c. War guilt clause:
i. Article 231: Germany needed to acknowledge full duty regarding beginning the war.
Food shortage
Limited supplies (lost in the war)
Ineffective leadership of Tsar Nicholas II
a. He went to the front lines during the war, leaving the gov't in the hands of Tsarina (who was German!) & her advisor, Rasputin (the mad monk)
● Collapse of Vienna’s most powerful bank in 1931→ Germany and eastern Europe started to fail.
● Jobs decreased, unemployment increased.
● John Maynard Keynes, english economist, was the only voice that demanded the gov’t to fix this issue by constantly providing jobs to enable recovery.
● Fascism: pushed for extreme nationalist and racial heritage identity.
○ Pursued by Italians and Germans
● Mussolini was the leader of the Italian Fascists Party. He used this opportunity to consolidate power.
○ 1933- Weimar Republic was in its final stage.
○ 1930- a government led by Hermann Muller resigned (last truly democratic gov.)
○ Last Weimar president Paul von Hindenburg took the opportunity of this resignation and appointed Heinrich Bruning as the leader of a middle of the road Catholic party.
○ Bruning proposed an economic proposal that helped a little with the problems caused by the Great Depression but created more political opposition.
○ 1919 - joined the German Workers’ Party, which was renamed as the National Socialist German Workers.
○ 1923 - launched the Beer Hall Putsch which led him to be on trial.
○ During this he wrote his book Mein Kampf, “My Struggle”
Germany invades Austria.
Germany invades Czecholsoviakia.
GB tried to Appease Germany. Munich Agreement
Germany and the Soviet Union Invade Poland.
● Germany took over Belgium and the Netherlands and attacked the French army.
● Battle of Britain: Germans lost to Britain because Britain could see their attacks on the radar.
● 1941 - Germany invaded the Soviet union
● By 1941, it was a global conflict. Italians extended the war to North Africa where they fought Britain to control Egypt.
● 1943 - Italy was knocked out from the war.
● US involvement
○ After Japan’s attack on the pearl harbor and the declaration of war by the Germans, the United States was pushed to WWII.
○ May 8th, 1945 - Atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima
○ August 6th, 1945 - 2nd atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki
○ August 14th - Japan surrendered