Midterm exam Flashcards
Battle of Waterloo
- 1815
- ended the Napoleonic Wars
- ended a generation of trouble that started with the French Rev.
First Treaty of Paris
Ended the Napoleonic Wars
Congress of Vienna
- October 1814
- Prussua, Russia, GB with France as an equal participants
- Treaty of Vienna
- successful
Treaty of Vienna
- 1815 at the Congress of Vienna
1. bring balance of power (contained France, Russia)
2. legitimacy (royal families restored monarchies)
3. compensation (to maintain legitimacy and prevent France from wanting to expand)
Holy Roman Empire in Germany 1789
- Habsburgs
- sovereign states ruled by bishops
- sig powers of Austria and Prussia
German Confederation
- meant to unite Germany in some way
- 41 states
- Austrian rep chaired
- Prussian rep handled foreign affairs
French Revolution brought…
- liberalism (best polit. system=one w/ constitution not monarchies)
- creation of constitutional state
- political nationalism
Industrial revolution brought…
- the middle class began to demand participation in government
- middle class educated
- led to many revolutions that led to constitutional systems
1st period of stability
- Status quo in 1815
- no public opinion
- cabinet wars only
- no economic pressures
- no militarism
Crimean War
-broke Russian and Austrian Alliance
France in the 19th C
- era of French primacy
- strong economy and great military strength
- major imperial power
- weakness: policial instability
Great Britain in 19th C
- greatest power in 19th C (imperialism)
- 1st to have industrial revolution
- stable political system (constitutional monarchy)
- small army but best navy in the world got involved in continental affairs
Russia in the 19th C
- huge army
- greatest land mass
- Tsar was pretty strong (Romanoff Alexander I)
Austria in the 19th C
- Habsburg family
- good economy and military
- occupied big territory
- big role in German confederation
- problems with nationalism (German rulers with non German population)
Prussia in the 19th C
- least of the Great Powers
- Hohenzollern family
- Bismarck
- 1st of german areas to industrialize
- best army in Europe
- Moltke (general staff system for war planning, weapons research, high trained and educated)
von Clausewitz
- wrote a military history
- cautionary tale of war b/c wars hardly ever turn out as intended BE CAREFUL
- best way is to gain vicarious experience (from history)
5 main things on Clausewitz
- primacy of politics
- uncertainty in war
- incalculable elements of war
- PTSD
- centrality combat
primacy of politics (Clausewitz)
- war is a continuation of politics through other means (to achieve some political end)
- political leadership has to decide how to get political objective then asks military leaders
uncertainty in war (clausewitz)
-war is uncertain, unquantifiable and unpredictable
incalculable elements of war (clausewitz)
- friction: what can go wrong will go wrong (weather, bad luck)
- fog of war: unforeseen circumstances; never know what the enemy is up to; inability to know everything
clausewitz trinity
need good govt, military, and people for a successful war
- political: polit obj manage war
- military: provide assessments, strategy, inform govt
ppl: have to believe sacrifices are worth it or else war effor could collapse
PTSD (clausewitz)
-human nature not to kill so hard to function in normal society after war
centrality combat (clausewitz)
-war is serious so must expect death BE CAREFUL
Moltke
- chief of Prussian general staff
- initiated army reform
- responsible for the greatest army in the world
Moltke’s army reform
- increase size of military based on population
- used militias as back up
- instituted the draft for a 3 year period of active duty
1849 Prussian Constitution active in 1861
- instituted landtag
- king in control of the army
- minister president (Bismarck first)
Reasons why Bismarck was a good statesman
- sense of responsibility
- realist (new when to stop)
- appreciate values of Europe as a whole (peace)
- always had a plan B
- interesting person to do business with (polite not too domineering)
Bismarck office holdings
minister president, Prussian foreign minister, chancellor of the united Germany
Bismarck’s interest in Danish monarchy in 1862
wanted Holstein to exploit it and to distract his own people
-enhance Prussia in the eyes of the Germans
Zollverein (1817)
- Prussian economic advantage
- united the german economy under the Prussians
- customs union (free flow of goods and services, no tariffs or duties)
- contributed industrialization
Bismarck’s political objectives in Denmark
- distract Prussians from domestic crisis
- gain experience for reformed army (cred. military power)
- demonstrate to all Germans that Prussians are willing to stand up for Germans
How Bismarck set up international sphere for war with Denmark in 1864
- Prussia helped Russians stifle uprisings (made them neutral)
- Made sure Britain and France didn’t get involved
Prussian-Dutch War 1864
- Got Danes to give up Holstein and Schelswig which were then controlled by Austria and Prussua
- Ended with Gastein Convention
Gastein Convention
- 1865
- Schleswig part of Prussia
- Holstein a part of Austria
- leads to Austro-Prussian war
What Bismarck did to prepare for Austro-Prussian war
- got Russia to remain neutral
- got Britain to stay out
- allied with Italy and promised them Venice (controlled by Austria)
- got France to remain neutral (promised them compensation but didn’t write it down)
- got Austria to violate Gastein Convention
Austro-Prussian War (7weeks war)
- 1866
- Italians mobilized army along Austrian border
- Prussian advantage cause had needle gun that could shoot faster
what battle in the Austro-Prussian war showed Prussian military strength
Sadawa (Koniggratz) Prussians intercepted Austrians about to attack Prussia
Bismarck’s objectives for Austro-Prussian war
- Austrians to withdrawal from Germ. Confed.
- Austrians to pay to offset Prussian costs of war
- Austria to hand over Venice so Prussians could give to Italy
Treaty of Prague
- August 1866
- ended Austro Prussian war
- achieved all 3 of Bismarck’s objectives
Reichstag 1866
-founded by Bismarck as parliament of the Northern German Confed.
Why Bismarck knew that there would be an eventual face off with France
- territories promised not honored
- French wanted to preserve its status so didn’t want a united Germany
Significance of the Spanish throne vacancy in 1870
- wanted to put a Prussian (German) prince on the spanish throne cause France hated him
- provoke into war with France
How Bismarck prepared IR for war with France
- Kept British out
- neutral Russia
- neutral Italy
- Austrians remained neutral
Ems dispatch
- stirred up anti-French sentiments
- pissed off French cause make it seem like William I was rude to the French ambassador
- got French to declare war on Prussia
Franco-Prussian war
1870-1871
- Prussians invaded French
- 3rd war in german unification
- French surrendered at Sedan (Napoleon III became POV)
- toppled 2nd empire
Treaty of Frankfurt
- May 1871
- ended Franco-Prussian war
- controversial
- indemnity huge (war expensive and wanted French military weak)–Prussian occupied until paid off
- France lost status as prominent world power
Unified Germany characteristics
- 1871
- best military in the world
- huge pop growth from 1871-1914
- 2nd industrial pwr in the world
- Bismarck advocated for peace
3 Emperor’s League
1873
- Austria, Germany, Russia
- Bismarck as arbitrator to make sure no fighting over Turkey
- isolated France b/c made sure Austria or Russia didn’t make deals with France
Triple Alliance
1882
- Italy, Germany, Austria-Hungary
- renewed every 5 years
Reichadt Agreement
July 1876
- between Russian and Austria
- if Serbs defeated Turkey then Austria and Russia would negotiate who would get what at expense of Turks
- BUT Turks won
Budapest Convention
January 1877
- austrains remain neutral if get Bosnia-Herzogovina
- Russia go to war w/Turkey (violate treaty of Paris)
Russo-Turkish war
1877-1878
Russian victory
Treaty of San Stephano
March 1878
- Russia overstepped and wanted too much (joint control over Bosnia-Herz with Austria)
- Bismarck warned Russia overstepping and offered Berlin for a conference to resolve
Congress of Berlin
Summer 1878
- Bosnia-Herz temporarily occupied by Austria
- many decisions led to Balkan wars
- russia left dissatisfied ==> 3 emperor’s league collapsed
2nd 3 emperor’s league
- 1881
- couldn’t let russia or austria go to france
Reinsurance Treaty
June 1887
- secret between Germany and Russia
- attempt to ally with Russia after collapse of 3 emperor’s league
- each country agreed to benevolent neutrality
- didn’t apply if Russia attacked Austria
- didn’t apply if Germany attacked France
- wasn’t renewed after Bismarck’s resignation
Kaiser William II
- tortured childhood (limp arm)
- inconsistent, illogical, impulsive, vain
- wanted to show that Germany was a world power
- clashed with Bismarck over domestic issues and constution
Fey’s factors that led to WWI
- nationalism
- imperialism
- public opinion
- alliance system
- militarism
nationalism (Fey)
- destabilizing
- pan movements
- social darwinism
- rivalries and feelings of superiority
imperialism (Fey)
- reflected nationalism
- helped industrialization
- led to several crises and hostilities and angst and small wars
public opinion (Fey)
- growing literacy–> public education
- yellow journalism to appeal to poorer demographic
- contributed to pan movements
- time for diplomats to negotiate decreased-created desperation
alliance system (Fey)
Triple alliance and triple entente
- falling out with either could drag all of europe in
- Bismarck discouraged military alliances but Germany did it anyways after he retired
militarism (Fey)
- made war more likely
- saborrattling (try to make the other side back down)
- arms race (driven by industrial rev.)
- misconceptions
- warplanning
Schlieffen Plan
- to deal with possibility of a war w/Russia and France at the same time
- defensive war against Russia
- offensive war against France
- had to cross through Belgium which violated neutrality
- developed Germans as aggressors
Reasons why Britain abandoned isolationism
- suffering economy
- population growth (trade imbalance)
Bulow
- german foreign minister and chancellor
- weltpolitik (to become a world player)
- wanted to build a strong navy for Germany
Mahan
- american prof of naval history
- on how Britain became a world power
- navy power leads to protection of colonies and communication open during war
Chamberlain
-approached Germans w/alliance but Germany refused so Brits turned to France for potential alliance
Anglo-Japanese alliance
- January 1902
- promised neutrality if the other went to war w/ a great power
- secured British and French neutrality in Russo-Japanese war
- shows how Brit was willing to abandon isolationism
Weakening of Triple Alliance in 1902 b/c
Italy buried hatchet France
-remained in the Alliance but would stay neutral in proceedings
Entente Cordiale
- April 1904
- ended Brit’s isolation
- French resented Brits’ protectorate but allowed it
- Brits acknowledged France’s position in Morocco
Russo-Japanese War
1904-1905
- ended with peace conference
- made Japan a great power in their victory
- turned Russians toward Balkans for intnl influence
1st Moroccan Crisis 1905-1906
- Bulow wanted to move into Morocco to get concessions for Germany
- wanted to test entente between France and Britain but drove them closer together
Algeciras Conference
April 1906
-tried to solve 1st moroccan crisis
Kitchener
- British
- led military expedition up Nile towards Khartoum to get rid of the Dervishes in Sudan
- continues towards Fashoda
Fashoda Crisis
- 1898
- British say French have to leave because Fashoda is British territory–> saberrattling
- French ended up withdrawing from E. Africa
Dreyfus Affair
- 1894-1906
- French officer apparently giving Germans military information
- but espionage continued after Dreyfus exiled
- Makes Delcasse realize that too many domestic affairs to have war with Britain
Boer War
- 1899
- British moved inland too far and Boers wanted to keep away from them
- Brits there cause wanted to build a railroad from Cairo to Cape town
- 500,000 Brits vs 40,000 Boers
Anglo-Russian Agreement
- 1907
- joined cause afraid of German advances
- Russians weak
- decided not to flip out about Afghanistan anymore
- led to the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
France, Britain, Russia
Bosnian Crisis
- 1908-1909
- generated by foreign ministers of Russia and Austria to increase power
Aehrenthal
- involved in Bosnian crisis
- annexed Bosnia-Herzogovina to restore Austrian prestige
Rise of the Young Turks
-1908
-wanted to restore Ottoman glory by getting rid of Sultan
0made it so Aeherenthal and Isvolsky had to move really quickly for Bosnia-Herzogovina
First transitional period
Eastern Question 1850s-1870s
