The Origins of World War One

Some key concepts Click to edit Master subtitle style

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The lamps are going out all over Europe: we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime

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The key fault lines in History

Causes of conflict- why do wars happen? How do wars change societies- social, political and economic impact The importance of leadership

Was

World War One inevitable?

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Sir Edward Grey- British Foreign Secretary

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Post hoc ergo propter hoc

AFTER

THIS THEREFORE BECAUSE OF THIS

A happened- B happened Therefore A caused B Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Austria- Hungary declared war on Serbia. World War One started.

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Causes of World War One

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The highlights
Franz

Ferdinand assassinated 28th June 1914 Austrian ultimatum to Serbia 23rd July Serbia rejects the ultimatum- Austria declares war 28th July Russia mobilizes against Austria 30th July Germany declares war on Russia 1st August Germany declares war on France 2nd August Germany invades France through Belgium Britain declares war on Germany 4th August Austria declares war on Russia 6th August
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The Causes of World War One?

Militarism The

Alliance system Imperialism Nationalism

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A.J.P Taylor
The

very things which are blamed for the war of 1914- secret diplomacy, the balance of power, the great continental armies- also gave Europe a period of unparalleled peace. Its no good asking What factors caused the outbreak of war? The question is rather Why did the factors that had long preserved the peace of Europe fail to do so in 1914?

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A.J.P Taylor
Wars

are much like road accidents. They have a general and a particular cause at the same time. Every road accident is caused in the last resort by the invention of the internal combustion engine.. But the police and the courts do not weigh profound causes. They seek a specific cause for each accident- driver error, excessive speed, drunkeness, faulty brakes, bad road surface. So it is with wars.

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What we will cover

The

assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand July Crisis and the slide to war

The The

main longer term causes- how did they prevent war / contribute to war in 1914? views of historians on the outbreak of war (HISTORIOGRAPHY)
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The

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M.A.I.N

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Nationalism- Argument / Counter Argument

Emphasize

here how Nationalism contributed in different ways to the 1914 perioddepended upon which country you were in.

Dangerous and irrational force Nationalism by 1914 had gone beyond the idea of a common language / culture New Nationalism Contributed to economic rivalry between nations Linked to the improvements in education Linked to mass politics of the era 4/11/12

Nationalism Nationalism

was a force for stability in mono ethnic countries- in polyglot empires (e.g. Austria Hungary) it was a force for instability with minority groups not being accommodated by the parent ruler.

Examples-

Austria Hungary- the call for a Greater Serbia Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

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But
Nationalism

manifested itself in different ways- alone it would not create war Nationalism created the need for countries to demonstrate their superiority- this led to the arms race and the search for Empire.
Nationalism

was a cause of World War One because of what it led to.

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But
Countries

regularly ignored such alliancese.g.- France had not supported Russia when she protested about the annexation of Bosnia (1908) Morocco Crises 1905 / 1911- Austria did not support Germany over its attempts to stop France in Africa Germany had restrained Austria over Serbia during the Second Balkan War (1913) Declaration of war was not made because of the alliance system- alliance system was how the war escalated
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Historians on World War One- the debate

Traditional

View- Germany responsibleArticle 231- War Guilt View- collective responsibility shared guilt 1: The Fischer Controversycontinuity of German history from 18701914 led to war- fears of German encirclement-territorial expansion2: Ritter Germany wanted to 4/11/12

Orthodox

Revisionism

Revisionism

Views of Historians
Among

the tectonic plates shaping the context of international politics, none loomed as dangerous and irrational as rampant, virulent, passion filled nationalism (Williamson)

Williamson

emphasizes the importance of nationalism within Austria- Hungary- they felt the need to stop Serbian Nationalism Nationalism a destabilizing force in parts of Europe
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Historiography- the powder keg

James

Joll emphasizes how the alliance system fell into disarray in 1914- alliance system actually destabilized Europe Mobilization plans were based upon what countries thought their allies would do George Kennan- fateful Franco Russian alliance all but made WWI inevitable German fears of encirclement by the Triple Alliance led them to form an aggressive war policy.
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Militarism- war by timetable

Outbreak

of War as a celebration in 1914 Linked to the ideals of Social Darwinism in the 1800s Militarism, armaments and war mobilisation plans have all been put forward as a key factor in the outbreak of war- Europe was an armed camp by 1914 Mass conscription and increased expenditure on arms made war more likely

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Views of Historians
James

Joll and co- cite militarism as the lynchpin that puts events beyond the control of the politcians- mass armies / mobilisation plans- e.g Schlieffen Plan The cult of the offensive-taking a decisive advantage over your enemy AJP Taylor- WWI caused almost entirely by rival plans for mobilisation by the European powers Relationship between decision to go to warmilitary planners- most influence in Russia / Germany / Austria
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But
Only

5% of GDP spent on Arms and defenceGermany (3.5 % of GDP- less than UK) Does high expenditure on arms lead to a desire for war? Britain who had the largest expenditure on arms seemed to want war the least in 1914 Stronger argument to suggest that the strategic balance of power was at stake during the July Crisis rather than a desire to demonstrate military might.
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Alliances
Europe

divided into two camps Origins of these alliances go back to the Franco- Prussian War 1871 1894 Alliance between France and Russiaseemed to set Europe on the road to war The move from Bismarcks Realpolitik to Wilhelms Weltpolitik A single countrys entrance into a conflict always brought with it the threat of support from the alliance partners
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Imperialism
Marxist

view would emphasise that competition for territory caused WWI All those involved in WWI saw empire as an important part of Great power status By refusing to be involved in WWI Great Power status would be threatened New Imperialism of the 1800- global domination- all countries demanding a place in the sun French ambitions in Morocco / Austria in Bosnia Raw materials, capital- intense competition
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But
Immediate

motives of the powers in 1914 were not directly imperialist. The crisis was not one of Empire- it was European. Only Imperial ambitions were those of Austria- Hungary

Did

not cause war- merely contributed to itImperialism was the mindset of European Nations in 1914- produced Militarism and Allliance systems
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World War One- CourseKey Terms- TOTAL WAR

LIMITED Limited

WAR v TOTAL WAR

wars of the 18th / 19th centurylargely the business of rulers and their armies Armies small in size- manoeuvre to avoid battle rather than engaging in it Societies largely untouched by war- trade continued TOTAL WAR- envelops the whole of society Total mobilization of the nations resources for victory (war economy) 4/11/12

Key Phases of the War

STAGE The

1- The battle for a quick victory 1914

breakdown of the war of movement / manoeuvre The race to the sea The development of the Western Fronttrench warfare Defeats for Russia- Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes

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Phase 2- Deadlock- 19141917

Attrition Battle

of the Somme Battle of Verdun

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Phase 3- The Tide Turns1917

Importance

of US entry into the war The Russian Revolution

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Phase 4- 1918 the Final Collapse of Germany

Failure

of the German offensive Failure of Germanys allies Wilsons Fourteen Points for Peace The armistice

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