The First World War: Background Causes, Immediate Causes and Interpretation Flashcards
Define militarism
a political, diplomatic, and social emphasis on military matters
Define deterrence
idea where the larger a country’s military, the less likely other countries would be to attack
Describe Britain and German naval race
British Royal Navy launched the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought; Germany wanted to compete (2nd Naval Law of 1900) creating arms race
What were the purpose of military service laws?
to increase the number of people in the army in the event of war
How did militarism contribute to WWI?
growing militaries engender suspicion and fear in rival states
Define industrialization
a period of massive increase in industrial output in the second half of the 19th century
What created competitive economic tension?
increase in production was not uniform across powers: iron and steel production increased in US and Germany; decreased in UK
Define neo-mercantilism
an economic doctrine that emphasizes the need to decrease imports by moving towards self-sufficiency; requires an increase in colonial holdings to supply raw materials and provide markets for finished goods
What led to connection between economic rivalry and military rivalry?
to protect and increase trade, countries needed powerful militaries
What are the Balkans?
region centered around Serbia whose inhabitants are broadly known as Slavs
What led to Balkan Wars in 1911?
The Balkans was dangerously volatile as the three powers surrounding them wanted them and many though they collectively could be the Greater Serbia or Yugoslavia
Who formed the Balkan League and who did they go to war with?
Serbia; Turkey
What four countries were part of the Balkan League?
Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece
What did the Balkan League win after the Balkan Wars and what country did they go to>
Albania and Macedonia; Bulgaria
What happened in and after the second Balkan War?
Serbia beat Bulgaria in 1913 for Albania; Austria-Hungary thwarted Serbia’s plans and Albania became the Independent Kingdom of Albania
Define imperialism
a set of actions and policies by which a national group dominates another national group and its territory
Define nationalism
an emotional attachment people have for their country and its desire for its political independence
Who led the Berlin Conference (1885) and what was its purpose?
Bismarck laid rules for claiming and exploiting Africa in hopes to discourage disagreements (to protect Germany from being dragged to war)
What is Weltpolitik and who adopted it?
(world policy) the foreign policy adopted by Germany at the end of the 19th century by which she sought to assert her influence around the globe; German kaiser Wilheim II
Define alliance system
system of agreements, treaties, and joint movements among countries
How did alliances contribute to WWI?
increase tension and suspicion of the great powers
What are other names for WWI? (2)
“Great War”, “powder keg”
What two empires were destroyed during WWI?
Hapsburgs and Ottoman
What is realpolitik and who stressed it?
“the politics of reality”; policies of nations that consider only their own interests in dealing with other countries “the end justified means”; German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Who was part of the Triple Alliance? (1882)
Germany, Australia, and Italy
Describe the Three Emperors League
formed in 1873 with Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia; Russia leaves in 1878 over anger in Russo-Turkish War because they lost most of land gained after war at Berlin Congress (at which Bismarck presiding officer); reformed in 1881 with Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary as members
Describe Dual Alliance (1879)
between Germany and Austria-Hungary; have backs if Russia attacks
Describe Reinsurance Treaty (1887)
between Russia and Germany; assured Russia’s neutrality in case Germany was attacked by France
Define “splendid isolation”
the term used to describe the general course of English foreign policy in the second half of the 19th century, exhibited in a refusal to conclude long-term international alliances.
Describe the Entente Cordiale and its transformation
Entente Cordiale 1904 between Britain and France; becomes Anglo-Russian Entente 1907 between Britain, France, Russia’ becomes Triple Entente between Britain, France, Russia
