Week 3- Chapter 28 Flashcards
Explain how the European system of alliances contributed to the outbreak of World War I and how the conflict became a global war.
- This was accelerated by the nationalism and militarism building in the countries at the time
- This led to competition between nations intensified greatly in 1871 when Germany became a united nation-state and the most powerful country in Europe. To these ends, Bismarck brokered a series of treaties and alliances to ensure the balance of power in Europe and prevent the outbreak of war. He wanted to isolate France and avoid being dragged into the Austrian-Hungarian and Russian conflicts.
- countries got their colonies involved, such as Britain getting troops from India, and Britain also got Canada and Australia involved
- When Willhelm II came to power, he did not continue bismarks policies. For example, Wilhelm refused to renew a nonaggression pact Bismarck had signed with Russia in 1887, which prompted France to court the tsar, offer loans and arms, and sign a Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892.
- Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913
Identify the causes of the Great Depression.
- Stock Market Crash of 1929: The stock market crash in October 1929 is often seen as the immediate trigger for the Great Depression. The stock market bubble had been growing for several years, fueled by speculation and easy credit, and when it finally burst, it triggered a wave of panic selling that led to a sharp decline in stock prices.
- Banking Crisis: The stock market crash led to a banking crisis, as panicked investors began withdrawing their money from banks. Many banks could not meet the demand for withdrawals and went bankrupt, leading to a loss of confidence in the banking system.
- Overproduction and Underconsumption: In the years leading up to the Great Depression, industrial production significantly increased, but wages did not rise at the same rate. This led to an oversupply of goods, as people did not have enough money to purchase everything being produced.
- Protectionist trade policies: Many countries responded to the economic downturn by adopting protectionist trade policies, such as high tariffs and import restrictions, which led to a decline in global trade and further economic contraction.
Identify the consequences of the Great Depression.
- Unemployment skyrocketed, with some countries experiencing unemployment rates of up to 25%.
- Many people lost their homes, businesses, and savings, and poverty and hunger became Governments around the world were forced to implement austerity measures and cut spending on social programs, leading to further suffering for many people.
- The Great Depression also had a significant impact on international relations. It contributed to the rise of totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, as people looked for strong leaders who promised to fix the economic crisis. It also led to increased political tensions and protectionism, which contributed to the outbreak of World War II
How did total war affect the home fronts of the major combatants?
- Bombings, for example, the Blitz in London, which killed many people and caused children to be evacuated from big cities to the countryside
- lack of food caused rationing
-Women were encouraged to work towards the war efforts, for example, in factories manufacturing weapons. This allowed them to help build a cause towards suffrage.
Industrial Mobilization: Industries were converted to produce war materials, such as weapons, ammunition, and vehicles. This shift led to increased government control over production and resources.
What factors led to the Russian Revolution, and what was its outcome?
1917
Causes:
Political Discontent: Autocratic rule by Tsar Nicholas II and lack of political representation led to widespread dissatisfaction.
Social Inequality: Peasants and workers faced harsh conditions and exploitation, fueling unrest.
Economic Strain: Economic backwardness and the severe impact of World War I, including food shortages and inflation, worsened the situation.
Military Failures: Russia’s military defeats and high casualties in World War I undermined confidence in the government.
Revolutionary Movements: Marxist ideas and revolutionary groups, notably the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin, mobilized support against the regime.
Key Events:
February Revolution (March 1917): Mass protests in Petrograd led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the establishment of a Provisional Government.
October Revolution (November 1917): The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government, establishing Soviet power under Lenin.
Outcomes:
End of the Tsarist Autocracy: The Romanov dynasty and autocratic rule ended.
Civil War: The Russian Civil War (1918-1922) ensued, with the Bolsheviks (Red Army) ultimately defeating the anti-Bolshevik forces (White Army).
Formation of the Soviet Union: The USSR was established in 1922 as the first communist state.
Land and Economic Reforms: The Bolsheviks nationalized land and industry, initiating significant economic changes.
Global Impact: The revolution inspired global communist movements and significantly influenced 20th-century geopolitics, leading to the Cold War.
What were the global consequences of the First World War?
Redrawing of Borders:
- The Treaty of Versailles and other peace treaties redrew the map of Europe, dismantling empires such as the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires.
New nations emerged, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and several Baltic states, while others, like Germany and Austria-Hungary, saw significant territorial losses.
Legacy of Bitterness and Resentment:
The harsh terms imposed by the Treaty of Versailles on Germany, including massive reparations payments and territorial losses, sowed the seeds of resentment and contributed to the rise of fascism and the outbreak of World War II.
Demographic Shifts:
The war resulted in significant loss of life, with an estimated 16 million military and civilian deaths. This loss had profound demographic effects, particularly in Europe, where an entire generation of young men was decimated.
Economic Disruption:
The war caused widespread economic disruption, with significant inflation, debt, and economic instability in many countries.
The war’s financial burden contributed to the Great Depression and led to the collapse of economies in Europe and beyond.
Emergence of the United States as a Global Power:
The First World War marked the ascent of the United States as a global economic and military power. The U.S. emerged from the war as a creditor nation, with its economy booming due to wartime production and exports.
Acceleration of Decolonization:
The war weakened European colonial powers economically and politically, accelerating the process of decolonization in the years that followed.
Colonized peoples, having contributed significantly to the war effort, demanded greater rights and autonomy from their colonial rulers.
Creation of International Organizations:
The League of Nations was established in 1920 as an international organization to promote peace and prevent future conflicts. While ultimately unsuccessful in preventing World War II, it laid the groundwork for the United Nations.
Advancements in Technology and Warfare:
The First World War saw unprecedented technological advancements in warfare, including the use of tanks, aircraft, chemical weapons, and trench warfare tactics. These innovations would shape military strategy in future conflicts.
Seeds for WWII
How did leaders deal with the political dimensions of uncertainty and try to re-establish peace and prosperity in the interwar years?
- League of Nations
-Treaty of Versailles - punished Germany severely
- They had to pay reparations
- Social welfare programmes
-Many right-wing Germans, including Adolf Hitler, believed there had been no defeat; instead, they believed German soldiers had been betrayed - In 1925, European leaders met in Locarno, Switzerland. Germany and France solemnly pledged to accept their common border, and both Britain and Italy agreed to fight either France or Germany if one invaded the other.
Stresemann also agreed to settle boundary disputes with Poland and Czechoslovakia peacefully, and France promised military aid to those countries if Germany attacked them. - Other developments also strengthened hopes for international peace. 1926, Germany joined the League of Nations, and in 1928, fifteen countries signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact. The signing nations “condemned and renounced war as an instrument of national policy.” The pact fostered the cautious optimism of the late 1920s and encouraged the hope that the United States would accept its international responsibilities.
militarism
The glorification of the military as the supreme ideal of the state, with all other interests subordinate to it. European concerns over national security, economies, welfare, identities, and overseas empires set nation against nation, alliance against alliance, and army against army until they all went to war at once
Triple Entente
- In 1907, Russia and Britain settled their outstanding differences and signed the Anglo-Russian Agreement. This treaty, together with the earlier Franco-Russian Alliance of 1892 and Anglo-French Entente of 1904, catalyzed the Triple Entente, the alliance of Great Britain, France, and Russia in the First World War
trench warfare
The human cost of trench warfare was staggering, while territorial gains were minuscule. In the Battle of the Somme (SAWM) in the summer of 1916, the British and French gained an insignificant 125 square miles at the cost of 600,000 dead or wounded. The Germans lost 500,000 men.
total war
Total war is a military conflict in which the contenders are willing to make any sacrifice in lives and other resources to obtain a complete victory, as distinguished from limited war.
March Revolution
March Revolution- The first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917, in which the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by the Provisional Government
Petrograd Soviet
Petrograd Soviet- the provisional government had to share power (dual power) with a formidable rival that represented the popular masses— the Petrograd Soviet (or council) of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, a huge, fluctuating mass organization composed of two to three thousand workers, soldiers, and socialist intellectuals. This counter-government, or half-government, issued its own radical orders, further weakening the provisional government. Most famous of these was Army Order No. 1, issued in March 1917, which stripped officers of their authority and gave power to elected committees of common soldiers.
Bolsheviks
Lenin’s ideas did not go unchallenged by other Russian Marxists. At a Social Democratic Labor Party congress in London in 1903, Lenin demanded a small, disciplined, elitist party; his opponents wanted a more democratic party with mass membership. The Russian Marxists split into two rival factions. Because his side won one crucial vote at the congress, Lenin’s camp became known as Bolsheviks, or “majority group”; his opponents were Mensheviks, or “minority group.”
War Communism
The Bolsheviks also mobilized the home front. Establishing War Communism — the application of the total war concept to a civil conflict— they seized grain from peasants, introduced rationing, nationalized all banks and industry, and required everyone to work. Although these measures contributed to a breakdown of normal economic activity, they also maintained labour discipline and kept the Red Army supplied.
