Causes of WW! Flashcards
(42 cards)
Intro to essay:
The environment in Europe during the pre-war period proved to be a time of great tension between the Superpowers.__ causes___left Europe in a sensitive and vulnerable state, which eventually led to war.
What is nationalism?
strong feeling of support for one’s own nation. Nationalists believed their nation was more important than the needs of other nations. They were so proud of their nation that they wanted it to be the richest and most important.
What did nationalism encourage?
population to feel intense pride in nation to point where opposing nations were despised
Where was nationalism the strongest?
Britain strongest: increase in army and volunteers of 1 million men by the end of 1914. This large figure implies confidence of victory and nationalism
What happened when news of war broke out in nationalist nations?
- civilians and soldiers supportive and welcomed war due to underlying sense of nationalism to country
- when war announced, parades broke out expressing joy and excitement that nation was entering conflict.
What did Germany and Britain feel for nationalism?
appreciation that money directed towards militarism would be of worth. A short war as it was predicted to be
what are some examples of nationalism that brought out conflict and tension?
- French nationalist were hostile towards Germany due to loss of Alsace and Lorraine in Franco-Prussian war and desired revenge
- encouraged Gavrilo Princip to assassinate the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austra.
What is imperialism?
desire to own colony and form an empire.
Nations strive for territory and power and as a result, they clashed and tensions increased for same colony and resources
Where did imperialism most occur?
in Africa and Asia
race for last territories open for colonisation.
fuelled rivalry and diplomatic incidents, eg. moroccan crisis
What happened in first Moroccan Crisis?
In 1905 and 1911 there was two moroccan crisis that occurred.
the first crisis was when the German kaiser declared Morocco should be independent of France. Germany thought in the crisis that was sure to follow, Britain may back down and not support France (Entente Cordiale 1904). But the plan failed and by Germany waging war at France, it pushed FRance and Britain even closer.
Germany suffered diplomatic defeat as britain backed France
What happened in the second Moroccan crisis?
ever since first, morocco remained unstable.
In 1911, second crisis began.
Morocco called France to suppress the rebellion, increasing its influence in Morocco.
After German was certain that this help would lead to a takeover, they sent a German gunboat Panther to Agadir.
When British became aware of this, they decided to join and intervene as it would damage Britain’s trade routes if Germany secured ports of Agadir.
Result: Germany suffered diplomatic defeat.
What did the decline of Ottoman Empire result in?
European powers sought territory, influence and access in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
Why was Germany aggressive in its imperialism ?
late start in colonial expansion due to late start in industrialisation. therefore only way to seize colonies was through war.
What was the side effect of imperialism?
As each European country gained colonies, those colonies became committed to helping the ‘motherland’ in the event of a war. Imperialism in its worst form was seen by the Belgians on the country of Congo (rubber trade)
What did imperialism lead to?
strained relationships and formation and strengthening of alliances and treaties.
Increasing intensity of arms race as nations stockpiled ammunitions and tried to secure their overseas colonies
rivalry, tension and hostility resulted in war
What is militarism?
also added tension and fear among Great powers of Europe
Militarist believed their country should be well armed and that military methods could be used to gain nationalists needs.
Why is militarism a cause for WW!?
at the beginning of 20th century, militarism was a powerful force throughout Europe.
The great powers competed in building their armed forces and supplies of weapons. Competition known as ‘arms race’ and in turn added tension.
What was the arms race?
a race between Britain and Germany to see who can build the largest and strongest military force and receive military supremacy.
Why did the naval arms race begin?
Since the early 1900s, both Germany and Britain had been engaged in a naval arms race. Britain was Europe’s major naval power, a status that Germany was seeking to attain. In 1898, Germany’s decision to build a navy capable of dominance over the British led to the British naval expansion for defence.
When and what did Britain build in order to be better than Germany and stronger for militarism?
The threat of Germany influenced Britain to upgrade their current fleet and build the HMS Dreadnought in 1906, a battleship considered the most powerful afloat. When Wilhelm II learnt of the Dreadnought, German naval construction was focused around this new “battleship”. Although it possibly began as a defensive response, especially for Britain, the naval arms races became an increasingly offensive and aggressive tactic.
What was arms race?
stockpiling large numbers of weapons. The arms race of the production of weapon on a mass scale of both naval and land
When did the arms race?
in the early 1900s and lasted for 16yrs
What happened during the arms race?
military spending on both nations, Germany and Britain, increased by 300%.
in order to recieve advantage on land, conscription was adopted by all major power in 1871.
What was this new type of war due to militarism?
New explosives, machine guns and more advanced technology meant new type of war, industrial war.
