Week 8: WW1 Flashcards
Partly built with AI, so monitor accordingly for errors.
Who is Marchese Antonio di San Giuliano
-Italian Foreign Minister involved in alliance negotiations and during July Crisis
-Played a role in Italy’s position regarding the Triple Alliance and its obligations, and decision to be neutral in 1914
- was deeply suspicious of Austria-Hungary
- He argued that Italy was not obligated to support Austria-Hungary in the war because Austria-Hungary had acted offensively
- He was successful in keeping other nations uncertain about Italy’s intentions
- wanted to maintain Italian neutrality without formally withdrawing from the Triple Alliance
Who was Antonio Salandra
- **Antonio Salandra was the Prime Minister of Italy when World War I broke out in 1914.
- Supported italian neutrality at start of war
- **Salandra’s government faced a domestic challenge in June 1914, just weeks before the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, when riots broke out across Italy in response to rising costs and economic hardship.
- **In the early stages of World War I, Salandra worked with Foreign Minister Antonino di San Giuliano to maintain Italian neutrality while assessing the potential advantages of joining the conflict.
- San Giuliano kept his and Salandra’s decision to remain neutral largely secret, sharing it only with a few others in the government
Britain’s Motivations
- Sought to maintain the balance of power
- Primary imperial concern was Russia (attempted to seek accommodation with Russia in Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907)
- Was concerned about rise of Germany and their Naval Expansion
- Was also concerned over franco-Russian combo. Resulted in Anglo-Japanese alliance in 1902.
- ## Sought to maintain global empire first through “splendid isolation” by not entering alliances, but as others like Germany forging alliances forced them to also do so.
Germany Motivations
- Wanted to shift balance of power in Germany’s favor
- Ambition driven by Germany’s relatively new power status and rapid economic and industrial growth & perception that it was being encircled by hostile powers (such as france and russia)
- Held unwavering support for Austria/Hungary
Schlieffen Plan, which called for a rapid offensive against France through Belgium in the event of a two-front war, contributed to the outbreak of war.” - Domestic strife with labor rights led government to use Weltpolitik as a means to distract.
- Surrounded by potential enemies, Germany felt vulnerable to a two-front war against France in the west and Russia in the east
France Motivations
● Security concerns stemming from Germany’s growing power.
● A desire to maintain the balance of power in Europe by securing British support.
● And anxieties related to colonial rivalries with Germany.
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- concern for securing British support in the event of a conflict with Germany.
- motivated by a desire to appear as the victim of German aggression, both to secure British support and to justify the war to its own public and neutral countries.
- French foreign policy in the years preceding World War I was heavily influenced by its rivalry with Germany, particularly over colonial possessions. (Moroccan crises)
deeply committed to its alliance with Russia and sought to strengthen this partnership in the face of the growing threat from Germany. The sources point to French loans to Russia, intended to support Russian military modernization and expansion. - internal political divisions and instability in France may have limited the government’s ability to act decisively in the lead-up to the war. “
Italy Motivations
- Italy, while formally allied with Austria-Hungary and Germany, had long-standing tensions with Austria-Hungary over territorial claims in the regions of Trentino, Trieste, and Dalmatia, which were part of *Italia irredenta.
- The Italian government, under Foreign Minister Antonino di San Giuliano, saw the outbreak of war in 1914 as an opportunity to potentially gain these territories for Italy, leading them to adopt a policy of neutrality while exploring potential advantages from both sides of the conflict.
- Had imperial ambitions to expand influence and territories
- wanted to exploit alliance system
Russia Motivations
- Russia aimed to increase its influence in southeastern Europe, leading to a conviction that it needed to expand its influence in the Balkans.
- Russia was motivated by a sense of obligation to protect the Balkan Slavs, particularly Serbia, which it saw as crucial to its prestige and credibility.
-Russia needed to strengthen its alliance with France to counter the combined threat of Austria-Hungary and Germany.
- Russia had a long-standing ambition to control the strategically vital Turkish Straits
-Russia’s policy decisions were shaped by the weakness of its autocratic system, with an inadequate autocrat ultimately responsible for crucial decisions.
Austria-Hungary Motivations
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- Austria-Hungary saw the growing influence of Serbia over the South Slavs in the Balkans as a direct threat to the existence of their multi-ethnic empire and wanted to take action against Serbia to eliminate this threat.** The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, provided an opportunity to diminish the perceived Serbian threat. Austria-Hungary believed that only strong action against Serbia could address the problem of Slav nationalism within its borders.
- Austria-Hungary was concerned about Serbia’s increasing size and influence in the region after the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, during which Serbia acquired significant territorial gains.** The Austrians drew the conclusion that Serbia, while potentially weakened in the short term as it integrated new territories and peoples, posed a greater long-term threat to Austria-Hungary.
-Austria-Hungary relied on the support of its ally, Germany, to deter Russian intervention on Serbia’s behalf, recalling a similar instance in 1908 when Russia backed down after Germany declared support for Austria-Hungary’s annexation of Bosnia.** Despite an awareness of the risk of Russian intervention, Austria-Hungary hoped to prevent it with German backing.
Serbia Motivations
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* Serbia, fueled by intense nationalism, aimed to unite the South Slavs of the Balkans into a single nation, which challenged the territorial integrity of Austria-Hungary.
- This pan-Slavic ambition, combined with a history of political instability and military involvement in the region, made Serbia a target of Austrian suspicion and hostility.
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While Serbian nationalists did not necessarily seek to provoke a war with Austria-Hungary, their actions, including involvement in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, provided Austria-Hungary with a justification for war.
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Ottoman Empire Motivations
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* The Ottoman Empire, weakened by internal instability and external pressures, sought to preserve its territorial integrity and maintain its position as a major power in the face of growing challenges from European powers and Balkan nationalism.
* The Ottoman government attempted to play the European powers against each other in an effort to secure its interests and prevent further encroachments on its sovereignty.
* The Young Turk Revolution of 1908, aimed at modernizing and strengthening the Ottoman state, inadvertently led to further instability and ultimately hastened the empire’s decline.
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Fashoda Crisis
“The Fashoda Crisis was a diplomatic standoff between France and Great Britain in 1898 over control of the Upper Nile region in Africa.
The crisis was triggered by the arrival of a French expedition led by Captain Jean-Baptiste Marchand at the strategically important fort of Fashoda, which was already occupied by British forces.
France ultimately withdrew from Fashoda, recognizing British dominance in the region, and this paved the way for the signing of the Entente Cordiale between the two countries in 1904.”
Dreyfus Affair
“The Dreyfus Affair was a political scandal in France that began in 1894 when Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army officer, was falsely accused of espionage and convicted of treason.
The affair deeply divided French society, with those who supported Dreyfus arguing that he was the victim of anti-Semitism and those who opposed him defending the honor of the army.
The affair had a significant impact on French politics and society, contributing to the decline of the army’s prestige and the rise of anti-militarism, and it also played a role in France’s decision to seek an alliance with Great Britain”
Moroccan Crisis
“Germany challenged France’s intentions to establish a protectorate over Morocco in 1905 by landing in Tangier and declaring support for Morocco’s independence, leading to an international crisis.
The crisis solidified the Anglo-French Entente, as Great Britain supported France diplomatically and began informal military talks with French officers to coordinate a potential response to German aggression.
The crisis was resolved through an international conference at Algeciras in 1906, where France’s influence in Morocco was recognized, but Germany was granted some commercial concessions.”
Dreadnought hoax
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* In 1910, a group of young people, including writer Virginia Woolf, disguised themselves as the emperor of Abyssinia and his entourage and successfully tricked the officers of the HMS Dreadnought, the most advanced ship in the British navy, into giving them a royal welcome.
* The hoax was intended as a prank but revealed the vulnerability of the British navy, which was seen as a symbol of British imperial power at the time.
* The Dreadnought hoax, along with the ““Captain of Köpenick”” incident in Germany, highlighted the significant cultural power and influence held by the military in Europe in the years before World War I.
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Agadir Crisis
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* In 1911, Germany sent a gunboat to the Moroccan port of Agadir, challenging France’s military presence in Morocco and demanding concessions in the French Congo.
* Germany’s actions backfired, revealing the weakness of their alliance with Austria-Hungary and solidifying the Anglo-French Entente.
* The Agadir Crisis heightened tensions between Germany and Great Britain, as German nationalists blamed Great Britain for their failure to acquire colonial concessions.
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Zabern Affair
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* The Zabern Affair was a political scandal in Germany in 1913 that arose after a German military officer stationed in the town of Zabern (now Saverne, France) made insulting remarks about the local Alsatian population, leading to protests and riots.
* The Zabern Affair illustrated the power and influence of the German military within German society and the inability of the German government to effectively control the military, even when it acted against the interests of the state.
* The Affair became a focal point for criticism of the German government, with liberals, socialists and even some conservatives expressing outrage at the military’s heavy-handed response to the protests and the government’s failure to hold the military accountable.
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Dinghy theory
”* The ““Dinghy Theory”” was a naval strategy in Britain that argued that the British navy was so strong that it could effectively blockade the British Isles, preventing any enemy, even a small boat (““dinghy””), from penetrating its defenses.
* Proponents of this theory argued that the strength of the British navy negated the need for Britain to maintain a large standing army.
* Critics of the theory argued that it was overly reliant on the navy’s ability to maintain a perfect blockade and that it left Britain vulnerable to other forms of attack, such as amphibious landings or raids. “
Weltpolitik
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Weltpolitik was the foreign policy adopted by Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that aimed to transform the country into a global power with a strong navy and overseas colonies.
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Weltpolitik was motivated by a desire to challenge British naval dominance and secure Germany’s place in the world, as well as to unify the German people around a common national goal.
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Weltpolitik had profound effects on both domestic and foreign policy, contributing to the growing tensions and rivalries that ultimately led to World War I.”
Franco-Russian Alliance
”- Established as a counterbalance to German power.
- Strengthened by financial ties and mutual defense agreements.
- Aimed at consolidating support against perceived threats from Germany.”
Triple Alliance
”- Comprised of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
- Focused on mutual defense and strategic cooperation.
- Created an atmosphere of distrust among other European powers.”
Anglo-German Relations
”- Characterized by competition and rivalry, especially in naval expansion.
- Tensions escalated due to colonial disputes and arms races.
- Contributed to the formation of opposing alliances.”
