The World Before 1914 Flashcards
Discuss the Russian Empire.
Ruled by monarchy, by the Tsar. Capital city is St. Petersburg. Had 146+ languages. The government spoke French, tried to get every one to speak Russian. Was rural and undeveloped. Recently abolished the ‘serf’ system. Government power was largely held by aristocrats. Liberals were frustrated by lack of reforms.
What are serfs?
People who were bound to the land. They were bought and sold with the land.
Discuss the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
Ruled by the Emperor, Franz-Josef, whose heir was Franz-Ferdinand. Was the 2nd largest land empire, 3rd largest population. Held together by emperor, a big army and decentralized administration. Pressured by Russia to take territory from the Ottomans. Not doing well in modernizing, not keeping up military.
Discuss the Ottoman Empire.
Ruled by a sultan. Capital is Istanbul and the predominate religion was Islam. Shrinking territory, religious and ethnic tensions. Shrinking population. Still has a large army and attempts at reform.
Name the 3 challengers to the empires.
France: Nation state but also an empire.
Great Britain: Nation state but also an empire.
Germany: Empire but also a nation state.
What is a nation state?
Run by democracy, with symbolic monarchy.
Discuss France.
No hereditary ruler, has elections, parliament, centralization and industrial. Universal manhood suffrage.
Overseas French colonies were more of a monarchy ruled without choice and limited manhood suffrage. Lacking citizenship for indigenous peoples.
What is suffrage?
The right to vote in political elections.
Discuss Great Britain.
In Britain, it was ruled by democracy: rule of law, constitutional monarchy, universal manhood suffrage (men only).
Biggest empire in 1914. Class tensions and unrest in colonies. Germany was a threat.
Discuss Germany.
Ruled by the Kaiser (Emperor). Capital is Prussia. Unified 1871. People spoke 20+ languages. Had a growing population. Limited parliamentary independence (didn’t have the final say). Attempts to suppress ethnic minorities. Skyrocketing economic development. Seeking their ‘place in the sun’. Free trade in Germany.
In the center of internal and external problems. Geographically central in all the empires.
What are some shared challenges between the empires?
Ethnic minorities.
Reform of institutions.
Industrial development.
International competition.
Different visions (conservatives, liberals, communists).
