The Great Depression had an impact on many countries of Europe, mainly because each country depended on the other for supplies and trading. When the United States got hit with the depression, the rest of the world was affected too since, at the time, the U.S was the country that gave all the loans. Germany was a country that was receiving loans from America in order to pay war reparations to the Allies. Germany already weakened by the penalties imposed after WW1 was in a very vulnerable position and when the great depression came, it sank much quicker and much deeper into an economic crisis which had significant influence on unemployment in the country and economic depravity which ultimately led to the rise of nationalism and the extremes and Nazism.
Unemployment and poverty were the main factors during the Great Depression and struck Germany during that time. The government responded to the depression by cutting back in production and consumption, cutting public services and used emergency powers to maintain order. There was decreased trade amongst the countries, and therefore the unemployment increased since many had lost their jobs in the trading industry as well as the publication of free press. The depression significantly affected the middle class people in German whose poverty and unemployment benefits had been banned. The people reacted to this fact by organizing protests and demonstrations against the government. They began to doubt the democratic government and turned to different political structures like communist and nationalist parties.
The Great Depression weakened the Weimar Republic. People were evidently not satisfied with their government’s policies and turned to the extremes. The rise of the extreme Parties like communist and nationalist parties occurred due to the economic depravity in Germany. Germany was affected by the Great Depression due to the disruption in world trade. The Wall Street crash, therefore the economic crash in U.S.A, led to the collapse of German economy. The economic depravity caused very high levels of unemployment and a feeling of despair among the German people who, at the same time, had suffered the disillusionment of defeat and humiliation after the Great War. All these factors led the German people to the arms of extremism and the rise of the communists and the national socialists was inevitable. However, it seemed that the national socialist party, which later was called the Nazi party, gained more votes during elections in the time of the Great Depression because of their strong leader who had the gift of motivating his people.
Hitler was the leader of the Nazis and of course proved to be the strongest figure who managed to arouse a strong feeling of nationalism and militarism among the Germans. The Great Depression was a gift to the Nazis. The Nazis had a resolution for every problem and every frustration they came across and used this devastating event as an advantage to express a radical change in the government. Hitler had the ability to manipulate, and others may say brainwash, the German people and in a time like this he had taken advantage of it delivering powerful and touching speeches. His ideas at the time and his gift in leadership seemed to be the answer to Germany’s problems. He used propaganda in order to dismantle the communist party and gain all the votes he could. Not only was it easy for him to take down the communist party, but he also demolished the Weimar Republic easily due to the anger held by the people towards their democratic government after the Locarno Treaty signed by Stresseman. The signing of this treaty meant that he, as a leader of Germany, had stabbed his people at the back for betraying years of resistance towards the Allied Powers. However, Hitler managed to win most of the people’s trust and handle it in his own way. Therefore Hitler’s skills proved that his dominance of the Nazis was complete.
The Great Depression largely impacted Europe, especially Germany due to the fact that she was already imposed many war reparations formerly. Germany was affected by the Great Depression by having her people going against the government and protesting for food and going on strikes due to the Republic’s poor policy responses. The rise of the extremism, such as Communism and National Socialism, therefore occurred since people were tired of living in such bad conditions put by the Weimar. Hitler was the leader of the National Socialist Party who gained the trust and support of most of the Germans and eventually came to a rise due to the unfortunate event of the Great Depression. The decline of the German economy became a reason for the Nazi to raise and prosper, by promising the people a better life and taking down communism. Therefore the Great Depression could be considered as one of the main factors of the Second World War.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Evaluate the successes and failures of the Paris Peace Conference in creating a stable European community in the post WW1 era.
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the victorious Allied Powers in the end of WW1. It dealt with the unsuccessful Central Powers and their punishment in order to imbue peace again in Europe. However, peace was not exactly established from the treaties that were forced to be signed. The Paris Peace Treaties that were made between the Allied Powers and the countries that lost the war had more failures than successes overall, which caused nationalism to rise, as well as political, economic and military problems.
Towards the end of the First World War both sides came to the realization that the Central Powers had become weaker and would eventually be defeated in the war. So the two sides decided to sign a peace treaty with each other stating the Central Powers’ defeat. Some say that the treaties were too harsh for the defeated countries, especially for Germany, which eventually caused the breaking out of another World War. The treaties signed after the war were: the treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the treaty of Trianon, the treaty of Sevres, the treaty of Neuilly, the treaty of Brest Litovsk and the treaty of Lausanne. These treaties mainly aimed to the punishment of the countries involved with the Central Powers, which meant the division of Empires thus creating new states, the diminishing of their military power and the lessening of economy and political independence.
The treaty of Brest Litovsk was actually made during the war, towards the end of it between Germany and Russia. This included the “betrayal” of Russia to the Allied Powers since she dropped out the war by creating a peace treaty with Germany giving up many territories to her enemy. I believe, however, that this “betrayal” was necessary for Russia’s own sake, since the country was going through political crisis with their government. Lenin, leading his nationalistic group called Bolshevik, went against the Tsar and the Whites Party. The civil war could have caused the victory of the Allied Powers if Russia hadn’t left the war. The treaty gave Germany the advantage of exploiting the territories they won from Russia and also caused Russia economic problems since these territories were a benefit to Russia’s economy. Therefore the exploitation of the lost territories is a failure. These territories, however, were to be distributed back to the Allied Powers after the treaty of Versailles was to be established.
The Ottoman Empire was involved in two treaties because they were unsatisfied with the first one the eventually rebelled against it. The treaty of Sevres named the removal of the Ottoman Empire from Europe and divided it up leaving all the territories of the empire under the control of the Allies. The Allies were to control the economy of the empire like the tax system and future expansion. Also the empire was forced to pay their “Public Dept” which included British, French and Italian bond holders. In addition to the Allies’ economic control in the Ottoman Empire, was their military control. The empire’s empire was to be limited to 50,000 men; the navy was to have only 6 torpedo boats and the forbiddance of an air force. These economic and military reforms caused Mustafa Kemal to protest and overthrow the Sultan who had signed the treaty. The feeling of nationalism after this treaty caused the outbreak of the Turkish War of Independence which led to negotiations with the Allied Powers. Therefore the whole treaty of Sevres was a failure since it caused another fight. The nationalistic war of independence led to the treaty of Lausanne which officially stated the sovereignty of the new Republic of Turkey. Even though now the new Republic was independent, the treaty did provide protection of the remaining Greek Orthodox in Turkey and Muslims in Greece. There were both failures and successes in this treaty concerning the military and the economy of Turkey. The economic support had decreased compared to what they had before, but free and open trading with all the countries was established which indicates a success in this treaty. A failure, however, would be the strengthening of the Turkish military due to the Turkish straits, because this shows that the aim of the “peace” treaty was not achieved.
The treaty of Saint Germain-en-Laye dealt with the separation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly with Austria. Austria lost her Empire and became a Republic made up of German-speaking people. Self-determination was denied, thus losing the opportunity to unite with Germany again. The treaty broke up the Habsburg Empire and recognized the independence of states such as: Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia), therefore creating a much smaller Austria. The creation of these new small states is a failure due to their weakness of actually being independent. The newly formed stated didn’t have the power to work as well-functioning governments. Some successes of this treaty was the fact that they had weakened the military of Austria since post-wat Europe was supposed to be peaceful with less feeling of threat with each other. The treaty limited Austria’s volunteer army and broke down the Austro-Hungarian navy which was then distributed to the Allied Powers.
The treaty of Trianon also dealt with the separation of Austria-Hungary, but mainly involved Hungary. There were some failures concerning the economy of Hungary and the foreign policies established. The treaty removed the rights of Hungary for self=determination, thus limiting her privileges in trading openly with other countries. New borders were made that cut off Hungary’s trade routes thus quelling all the income from agricultural production and causing unemployment. Moreover, the treaty’s failures also concerned another country. Hungary was restored onto Italy’s responsibility and charges against Italian crimes and offences were annulled which could cause potential nationalistic actions from Hungary. The treaty stating Hungary’s limited military access to the air force, navy and army could be described as a success since Hungary used to be a big threat to Europe due to her power as an Empire.
The treaty of Neuilly involved Bulgaria, a country they did not play a huge role as Germany or Austria-Hungary. The treaty forced Bulgaria to give up territories, like the Western Thrace, which could be described as a failure since giving up this territory caused Bulgaria many economic problems. They were put under Greek control and became deprived of their only access to the Mediterranean Sea thus losing a good trade route. The demobilization of the Bulgarian army to 20,000 men was necessary since the aim of the treaties was to restore a safe Europe without the fear of a breakout of another war. Also, Bulgarians did not lose all army privileges since voluntary enlistment was allowed. However, the formation of any group of forces that concerned military command or war preparation was forbidden which could be considered harsh because the Bulgarians had no control of their own army.
The Paris Peace Treaties overall had more unsuccessful outcomes than successful. The punishment of these countries, the denying of self-determination caused the defeated countries to have economic, military and political problems. I believe that the biggest failure were the financial offences put onto these countries because it stopped them from evolving. Clearly looking at the decisions made by the politicians at that time, makes it easier for a historian, for example, to realize what would be a failure and a success since they’d know that there would be a Second World War that was partly caused due to the harsh decisions made to penalize the defeated countries.
Towards the end of the First World War both sides came to the realization that the Central Powers had become weaker and would eventually be defeated in the war. So the two sides decided to sign a peace treaty with each other stating the Central Powers’ defeat. Some say that the treaties were too harsh for the defeated countries, especially for Germany, which eventually caused the breaking out of another World War. The treaties signed after the war were: the treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the treaty of Trianon, the treaty of Sevres, the treaty of Neuilly, the treaty of Brest Litovsk and the treaty of Lausanne. These treaties mainly aimed to the punishment of the countries involved with the Central Powers, which meant the division of Empires thus creating new states, the diminishing of their military power and the lessening of economy and political independence.
The treaty of Brest Litovsk was actually made during the war, towards the end of it between Germany and Russia. This included the “betrayal” of Russia to the Allied Powers since she dropped out the war by creating a peace treaty with Germany giving up many territories to her enemy. I believe, however, that this “betrayal” was necessary for Russia’s own sake, since the country was going through political crisis with their government. Lenin, leading his nationalistic group called Bolshevik, went against the Tsar and the Whites Party. The civil war could have caused the victory of the Allied Powers if Russia hadn’t left the war. The treaty gave Germany the advantage of exploiting the territories they won from Russia and also caused Russia economic problems since these territories were a benefit to Russia’s economy. Therefore the exploitation of the lost territories is a failure. These territories, however, were to be distributed back to the Allied Powers after the treaty of Versailles was to be established.
The Ottoman Empire was involved in two treaties because they were unsatisfied with the first one the eventually rebelled against it. The treaty of Sevres named the removal of the Ottoman Empire from Europe and divided it up leaving all the territories of the empire under the control of the Allies. The Allies were to control the economy of the empire like the tax system and future expansion. Also the empire was forced to pay their “Public Dept” which included British, French and Italian bond holders. In addition to the Allies’ economic control in the Ottoman Empire, was their military control. The empire’s empire was to be limited to 50,000 men; the navy was to have only 6 torpedo boats and the forbiddance of an air force. These economic and military reforms caused Mustafa Kemal to protest and overthrow the Sultan who had signed the treaty. The feeling of nationalism after this treaty caused the outbreak of the Turkish War of Independence which led to negotiations with the Allied Powers. Therefore the whole treaty of Sevres was a failure since it caused another fight. The nationalistic war of independence led to the treaty of Lausanne which officially stated the sovereignty of the new Republic of Turkey. Even though now the new Republic was independent, the treaty did provide protection of the remaining Greek Orthodox in Turkey and Muslims in Greece. There were both failures and successes in this treaty concerning the military and the economy of Turkey. The economic support had decreased compared to what they had before, but free and open trading with all the countries was established which indicates a success in this treaty. A failure, however, would be the strengthening of the Turkish military due to the Turkish straits, because this shows that the aim of the “peace” treaty was not achieved.
The treaty of Saint Germain-en-Laye dealt with the separation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly with Austria. Austria lost her Empire and became a Republic made up of German-speaking people. Self-determination was denied, thus losing the opportunity to unite with Germany again. The treaty broke up the Habsburg Empire and recognized the independence of states such as: Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia), therefore creating a much smaller Austria. The creation of these new small states is a failure due to their weakness of actually being independent. The newly formed stated didn’t have the power to work as well-functioning governments. Some successes of this treaty was the fact that they had weakened the military of Austria since post-wat Europe was supposed to be peaceful with less feeling of threat with each other. The treaty limited Austria’s volunteer army and broke down the Austro-Hungarian navy which was then distributed to the Allied Powers.
The treaty of Trianon also dealt with the separation of Austria-Hungary, but mainly involved Hungary. There were some failures concerning the economy of Hungary and the foreign policies established. The treaty removed the rights of Hungary for self=determination, thus limiting her privileges in trading openly with other countries. New borders were made that cut off Hungary’s trade routes thus quelling all the income from agricultural production and causing unemployment. Moreover, the treaty’s failures also concerned another country. Hungary was restored onto Italy’s responsibility and charges against Italian crimes and offences were annulled which could cause potential nationalistic actions from Hungary. The treaty stating Hungary’s limited military access to the air force, navy and army could be described as a success since Hungary used to be a big threat to Europe due to her power as an Empire.
The treaty of Neuilly involved Bulgaria, a country they did not play a huge role as Germany or Austria-Hungary. The treaty forced Bulgaria to give up territories, like the Western Thrace, which could be described as a failure since giving up this territory caused Bulgaria many economic problems. They were put under Greek control and became deprived of their only access to the Mediterranean Sea thus losing a good trade route. The demobilization of the Bulgarian army to 20,000 men was necessary since the aim of the treaties was to restore a safe Europe without the fear of a breakout of another war. Also, Bulgarians did not lose all army privileges since voluntary enlistment was allowed. However, the formation of any group of forces that concerned military command or war preparation was forbidden which could be considered harsh because the Bulgarians had no control of their own army.
The Paris Peace Treaties overall had more unsuccessful outcomes than successful. The punishment of these countries, the denying of self-determination caused the defeated countries to have economic, military and political problems. I believe that the biggest failure were the financial offences put onto these countries because it stopped them from evolving. Clearly looking at the decisions made by the politicians at that time, makes it easier for a historian, for example, to realize what would be a failure and a success since they’d know that there would be a Second World War that was partly caused due to the harsh decisions made to penalize the defeated countries.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Why did Germany lose the First World War?
Germany’s failure to win the Great War cannot be attributed to a single factor. Indeed there are many factors that contributed to the country’s ultimate defeat and, in retrospect; one could say that the country had it coming from the beginning, as it committed a number of strategically tactical mistakes in a number of major fields such the military, the economic and the political fields. Germany and her allies were unsuccessful throughout the war, even though they had won various battles, due to their poor decisions in constructing plans for their tactics in the battlefield but also for their political system in order to keep their government from declining.
The fists tactical error was Germany’s military strategy. One major mistake was Germany’s official declaration of war, when she invaded neutral Belgium in order to attack France. Not only was this a bad military judgment, since Germany did not consider the consequences of disturbing a neutral country and disrespecting a treaty made by Europe saying that Belgium would not be involved in the war, but it was ridiculed by many countries through propaganda. Propaganda played a great role in persuading men to recruit in the war and therefore affected soldier’s military practice in the war. Britain took advantage of Germany’s mistake of invading Belgium and made a global campaign by picturing her as a monstrous country, thus preparing recruits for the barbaric scenes of the battlefields. Contrary to Britain’s successful propaganda, the German propaganda by using untrustworthy and false arguments (e.g. the British are cowards), did not prepare her soldiers well for battle and for many the propaganda did not sound convincing in any case. Therefore German soldiers were psychologically unprepared, thus losing faith shortly after entering the war. Another strategic misjudgment that Germany made was the fact that she didn’t have any alternative plans when for example attacking a country. The von Schlieffen plan, which was the plan to invade Belgium, would be interpreted strategically clever (going around a country to attack France in surprise), by a historian, if Germany had an alternative plan since things went wrong. Also, Germany’s easy access to attack the Allies after Russia exited the war was a bad strategy since U.S.A. entered the war almost immediately after Russia had dropped out. This shows Germany’s lack of strategic skills.
Another factor that caused Germany’s loss was the triggering of nationalism, specifically American nationalism. Germany should have kept U.S.A. neutral in order to be sure that she’d be safe from even more enemies; however, Germany did everything to enrage the country. One reason why U.S.A entered the war was the sinking of her military ship, Lusitania, in 1915. Even though the ship was sunk, by Germany, 2 years before U.S.A. actually entered the war America used this as an excuse to enter the war. Lusitania was a military ship that secretly transferred weaponry to Britain and this angered Germany since she stated that whoever supplied Germany’s enemies, she would prevent them. Sinking the ship was a bad decision, since Germany would lose any chance of keeping U.S.A. neutral. The Zimmerman telegram was another event that triggered American nationalism. Germany sent a telegram to Mexico in 1917, during a civil war in Mexico, asking the Latin American country to take Germany’s side in the war in exchange for their lost land from the U.S.A. This showed Germany’s desperate position as Mexico was plagued by civil war and could not provide any real assistance to Germany’s cause. The telegram was obviously ignored by Mexico, but it greatly angered U.S.A. and caused her to join the war officially in the Allied side. U.S.A, though, was already allied with Britain in a way, since she had equipped Britain with supplies and weaponry throughout the war and when she finally entered, it affected Germany enormously. She joined the war towards the end, when Germany had lost faith in the war, and provided the Allies with fresh strategies and more soldiers. Therefore as Germany’s nationalism faded away, her enemy’s grew.
The lack of cooperation between the Central Powers caused the ineffectiveness of Germany’s Alliance System. A system called Authoritarianism made it very difficult for Germany to collaborate with her allies. The structure of powers was not very organized: the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, made all the decisions along with the military general, Ludendorff and no one else was beneath the to help make other decisions. In contrary to Germany’s power structure decline, was the Allies’ system of commanding. Britain, France and America appointed one Supreme Commander who would give all the instructions for the military tactics, however, if the Commander-in-Chief of the British, French or America did not agree they could decide on their own military tactics thus proving once again that the Allies had better strategies, as to how to control their military.
Germany not only had to face her enemies, the Allies, but also had to face her own nation which had begun to go against her. The limitations of Germany’s economy and geography caused the people to protest. Due to Germany’s lack of coastline, it was difficult for her to import or export supplies thus reducing her economy and worsening her nation’s living conditions. An incident called the “Turnip winter” is an example of German economy decline. This is when communism emerged, when people started starving and thus went against their own government since they wouldn’t support any of their Kaiser’s poor decisions. Starvation also occurred in Britain; however, the British government passed a law called D.O.R.A. - Defense of the Realm Act, which protected the people from starving but did not affect the role of the soldiers and their living condition. This showed that Britain was organized and was ready to act if they came across a problem like that.
Germany and her allies were unsuccessful throughout the war, even though they had won various battles, due to their poor decisions in constructing plans for their tactics in the battlefield but also for their political system in order to keep their government from declining. Winning some of the battles does not mean that a country has a big chance of winning the war, if all the rest is falling apart. Germany’s government and economy was declining due to the protesting of the people, her military tactics were unsuccessful due to the lack of collaborations with her allies and due to her poor judgment as to who to appoint a military general. Furthermore, Germany’s enemies were by far more successful economically, politically and militarily, and this big difference of organization played a great role to Germany’s loss. If Germany hadn’t taken everything for granted – her nation and enemies- she would have a much more rewarding result.
The fists tactical error was Germany’s military strategy. One major mistake was Germany’s official declaration of war, when she invaded neutral Belgium in order to attack France. Not only was this a bad military judgment, since Germany did not consider the consequences of disturbing a neutral country and disrespecting a treaty made by Europe saying that Belgium would not be involved in the war, but it was ridiculed by many countries through propaganda. Propaganda played a great role in persuading men to recruit in the war and therefore affected soldier’s military practice in the war. Britain took advantage of Germany’s mistake of invading Belgium and made a global campaign by picturing her as a monstrous country, thus preparing recruits for the barbaric scenes of the battlefields. Contrary to Britain’s successful propaganda, the German propaganda by using untrustworthy and false arguments (e.g. the British are cowards), did not prepare her soldiers well for battle and for many the propaganda did not sound convincing in any case. Therefore German soldiers were psychologically unprepared, thus losing faith shortly after entering the war. Another strategic misjudgment that Germany made was the fact that she didn’t have any alternative plans when for example attacking a country. The von Schlieffen plan, which was the plan to invade Belgium, would be interpreted strategically clever (going around a country to attack France in surprise), by a historian, if Germany had an alternative plan since things went wrong. Also, Germany’s easy access to attack the Allies after Russia exited the war was a bad strategy since U.S.A. entered the war almost immediately after Russia had dropped out. This shows Germany’s lack of strategic skills.
Another factor that caused Germany’s loss was the triggering of nationalism, specifically American nationalism. Germany should have kept U.S.A. neutral in order to be sure that she’d be safe from even more enemies; however, Germany did everything to enrage the country. One reason why U.S.A entered the war was the sinking of her military ship, Lusitania, in 1915. Even though the ship was sunk, by Germany, 2 years before U.S.A. actually entered the war America used this as an excuse to enter the war. Lusitania was a military ship that secretly transferred weaponry to Britain and this angered Germany since she stated that whoever supplied Germany’s enemies, she would prevent them. Sinking the ship was a bad decision, since Germany would lose any chance of keeping U.S.A. neutral. The Zimmerman telegram was another event that triggered American nationalism. Germany sent a telegram to Mexico in 1917, during a civil war in Mexico, asking the Latin American country to take Germany’s side in the war in exchange for their lost land from the U.S.A. This showed Germany’s desperate position as Mexico was plagued by civil war and could not provide any real assistance to Germany’s cause. The telegram was obviously ignored by Mexico, but it greatly angered U.S.A. and caused her to join the war officially in the Allied side. U.S.A, though, was already allied with Britain in a way, since she had equipped Britain with supplies and weaponry throughout the war and when she finally entered, it affected Germany enormously. She joined the war towards the end, when Germany had lost faith in the war, and provided the Allies with fresh strategies and more soldiers. Therefore as Germany’s nationalism faded away, her enemy’s grew.
The lack of cooperation between the Central Powers caused the ineffectiveness of Germany’s Alliance System. A system called Authoritarianism made it very difficult for Germany to collaborate with her allies. The structure of powers was not very organized: the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, made all the decisions along with the military general, Ludendorff and no one else was beneath the to help make other decisions. In contrary to Germany’s power structure decline, was the Allies’ system of commanding. Britain, France and America appointed one Supreme Commander who would give all the instructions for the military tactics, however, if the Commander-in-Chief of the British, French or America did not agree they could decide on their own military tactics thus proving once again that the Allies had better strategies, as to how to control their military.
Germany not only had to face her enemies, the Allies, but also had to face her own nation which had begun to go against her. The limitations of Germany’s economy and geography caused the people to protest. Due to Germany’s lack of coastline, it was difficult for her to import or export supplies thus reducing her economy and worsening her nation’s living conditions. An incident called the “Turnip winter” is an example of German economy decline. This is when communism emerged, when people started starving and thus went against their own government since they wouldn’t support any of their Kaiser’s poor decisions. Starvation also occurred in Britain; however, the British government passed a law called D.O.R.A. - Defense of the Realm Act, which protected the people from starving but did not affect the role of the soldiers and their living condition. This showed that Britain was organized and was ready to act if they came across a problem like that.
Germany and her allies were unsuccessful throughout the war, even though they had won various battles, due to their poor decisions in constructing plans for their tactics in the battlefield but also for their political system in order to keep their government from declining. Winning some of the battles does not mean that a country has a big chance of winning the war, if all the rest is falling apart. Germany’s government and economy was declining due to the protesting of the people, her military tactics were unsuccessful due to the lack of collaborations with her allies and due to her poor judgment as to who to appoint a military general. Furthermore, Germany’s enemies were by far more successful economically, politically and militarily, and this big difference of organization played a great role to Germany’s loss. If Germany hadn’t taken everything for granted – her nation and enemies- she would have a much more rewarding result.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
What is the most important cause of WWI?
The Great War, even though it has been regarded to have been caused by many factors like militarism, nationalism and secret alliances, I believe that the main cause was the countries’ desire for expansionism, imperialism. Imperialism is a cause of war that triggered all the other factors and therefore I believe it is considered the most important cause of World War I.
Imperialism is a form of colonization, but concerns political and economical matters rather than just the expansion of a territory. The historical significance of it is that powerful countries established imperialism by expanding their economy and trade also affecting Third World countries. It occurred in 1870-1880 in Europe.
The Great powers of Europe began to need more than just their own land, not for land expansionism only but for imperialism. Countries needed to gain access to weaker countries in order to have trading access, therefore expanding their economy. For example Britain’s desire to imperialize Africa since Africa was easy to be manipulated due to being so poor. Britain invested in Africa’s businesses and factories and took up most of their money, therefore taking advantage of Africa. This lead to industrialization, which is a significant happening in history because to due to industrialization, technology expanded. The fact that technology expanded is not necessarily the best thing that could have happened in a time where the powers of Europe were already competing with each other, for example when France and Britain had tensions between them because France also wanted a piece of Africa.
Industrialization came with its competitive factors which lead to nationalism. The Dreadnaught is a great example of nationalism. The Dreadnaught is a creation of Britain after the industrial revolution; new machinery was made and therefore created a massive metal boat that could carry hundreds of people and goods. This triggered tensions between Germany because Germany was afraid that Britain would gain trading access in more countries, get more goods and therefore become more powerful. However, Britain also felt threatened by Germany due to her rapid growth of the navy, when admiral Tirpitz was the head of the German nave, since Britain was known for having the strongest navy in Europe. This obviously caused tensions between the two countries. Another example of nationalism is the Franco-Prussian war when France lost to Prussia (Germany) and gave up Alsace and Lorraine. France’s loss never stopped the tensions between Germany and France swore to get the two territories back.
Another cause of the Great War is militarism and alliances between countries. Militarism was triggered by nationalism and this triggered the creation of alliances. However, alliances would never be made if countries didn’t have the reassurance that their allies were powerful and their power came from imperialism. An example of military action is the French “Plan 17”. This plan was made for the purpose of getting Alsace and Lorraine back and this included having French troops surrounding the boarders of the two territories. This plan caused the creation of another plan the German “Von Schlieffen” plan. The purpose of this German plan to defeat France in order for Germany to keep Alsace and Lorraine and to do that, the Von Schlieffen plan stated that Germany would have to pass through Belgium in order not to come across the French. Belgium was a neutral country and the fact that Germany invaded the neutral country caused tensions between Britain which then became allied to France and Russia and eventually lead to war. The war inevitable since alliances had already been created and therefore divided up Europe in two- the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and later on Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Russia and Britain).
The Great War, even though it has been regarded to have been caused by many factors like militarism, nationalism and secret alliances, I believe that the main cause was the countries’ desire for expansionism, imperialism. If the desire for expansionism hadn’t existed then the other causes would have never been triggered. I do not believe that war was inevitable if the countries stayed neutral; however the countries’ competitive acts did lead to tensions between them and made war inevitable.
Imperialism is a form of colonization, but concerns political and economical matters rather than just the expansion of a territory. The historical significance of it is that powerful countries established imperialism by expanding their economy and trade also affecting Third World countries. It occurred in 1870-1880 in Europe.
The Great powers of Europe began to need more than just their own land, not for land expansionism only but for imperialism. Countries needed to gain access to weaker countries in order to have trading access, therefore expanding their economy. For example Britain’s desire to imperialize Africa since Africa was easy to be manipulated due to being so poor. Britain invested in Africa’s businesses and factories and took up most of their money, therefore taking advantage of Africa. This lead to industrialization, which is a significant happening in history because to due to industrialization, technology expanded. The fact that technology expanded is not necessarily the best thing that could have happened in a time where the powers of Europe were already competing with each other, for example when France and Britain had tensions between them because France also wanted a piece of Africa.
Industrialization came with its competitive factors which lead to nationalism. The Dreadnaught is a great example of nationalism. The Dreadnaught is a creation of Britain after the industrial revolution; new machinery was made and therefore created a massive metal boat that could carry hundreds of people and goods. This triggered tensions between Germany because Germany was afraid that Britain would gain trading access in more countries, get more goods and therefore become more powerful. However, Britain also felt threatened by Germany due to her rapid growth of the navy, when admiral Tirpitz was the head of the German nave, since Britain was known for having the strongest navy in Europe. This obviously caused tensions between the two countries. Another example of nationalism is the Franco-Prussian war when France lost to Prussia (Germany) and gave up Alsace and Lorraine. France’s loss never stopped the tensions between Germany and France swore to get the two territories back.
Another cause of the Great War is militarism and alliances between countries. Militarism was triggered by nationalism and this triggered the creation of alliances. However, alliances would never be made if countries didn’t have the reassurance that their allies were powerful and their power came from imperialism. An example of military action is the French “Plan 17”. This plan was made for the purpose of getting Alsace and Lorraine back and this included having French troops surrounding the boarders of the two territories. This plan caused the creation of another plan the German “Von Schlieffen” plan. The purpose of this German plan to defeat France in order for Germany to keep Alsace and Lorraine and to do that, the Von Schlieffen plan stated that Germany would have to pass through Belgium in order not to come across the French. Belgium was a neutral country and the fact that Germany invaded the neutral country caused tensions between Britain which then became allied to France and Russia and eventually lead to war. The war inevitable since alliances had already been created and therefore divided up Europe in two- the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and later on Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Russia and Britain).
The Great War, even though it has been regarded to have been caused by many factors like militarism, nationalism and secret alliances, I believe that the main cause was the countries’ desire for expansionism, imperialism. If the desire for expansionism hadn’t existed then the other causes would have never been triggered. I do not believe that war was inevitable if the countries stayed neutral; however the countries’ competitive acts did lead to tensions between them and made war inevitable.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Germany Chapter 3
Using the information above and from the chapter, outline a brief essay with support related to the following guiding question: “To what extent was Germany already at war with Europe by 1914?”
I believe that Germany was already at war with Europe due to all of Bismarck’s successors and its unstable government. Germany was not already in an actual war with Europe, but all the competitive acts between the countries seemed to make the war more likely. There were many events that occurred in Germany or had something to do with Germany that led to war with Europe in 1914.
One example is the rapid growth in Germany’s navy that took Britain’s attention, whose navy was supposed to be the strongest of the world. The German navy became stronger during Hohenlohe’s reign. The growth of the navy also brought nationalism in Germany and nationalism is a very important aspect when it comes to war. A sign of nationalism and patriotism was detected when the Navy Office and the War Ministry asked the new Chancellor, Bethmann Hollweg, and the bill was easily passed by the Reichstag. This growth was considered as a threat to Russia.
The Kaiser felt that it was necessary for Germany to have a good relationship with Britain and wanted to improve their relations by publishing a Telegraph, in 1908, that had an interview of the Kaiser saying that he only wanted peace. This shows that the German government already feared that a powerful country like Britain could turn against Germany and easily cause war.
A bigger step toward war occurred when Caprivi did not renew the Reinsurance Treaty between Russia and Germany, since he thought that an alliance with Russia was unacceptable. The fall of treaty not the only thing that angered Russia, but when the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) was renewed Russia felt isolated. Because of her isolation, Russia allied with France. This was Bismarck’s nightmare.
Germany believed that Britain would not get involves with all the alliances and so she did little to win Britain over and have her as an alliance. However, Germany’s actions only caused Britain to turn against her. In 1907 the Triple Entente was formed which included Russia, France and Britain and this formation concluded Europe’s division.
Tensions Occurred after that. A crisis in the Balkans occurred between Russia and Austria and when Germany supported Austria, Russia was forced to step down causing her determination to get revenge. Tensions occurred between Germany and Britain when Britain realized how strong the German navy had become. It was only a matter of time for the war to begin.
The assassination of the new Austrian king, in 1914, was the last step towards war. A Serb extremist had murdered him and therefore if Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia would have to get involved, along with all the allies. Austria declared war on Serbia and thus, the First World War had begun.
All these events show that the countries of Europe knew that war was likely to happen and therefore all they did was provoke it and speed the war. All these alliances and tensions point out that war already occurred in the people’s minds.
I believe that Germany was already at war with Europe due to all of Bismarck’s successors and its unstable government. Germany was not already in an actual war with Europe, but all the competitive acts between the countries seemed to make the war more likely. There were many events that occurred in Germany or had something to do with Germany that led to war with Europe in 1914.
One example is the rapid growth in Germany’s navy that took Britain’s attention, whose navy was supposed to be the strongest of the world. The German navy became stronger during Hohenlohe’s reign. The growth of the navy also brought nationalism in Germany and nationalism is a very important aspect when it comes to war. A sign of nationalism and patriotism was detected when the Navy Office and the War Ministry asked the new Chancellor, Bethmann Hollweg, and the bill was easily passed by the Reichstag. This growth was considered as a threat to Russia.
The Kaiser felt that it was necessary for Germany to have a good relationship with Britain and wanted to improve their relations by publishing a Telegraph, in 1908, that had an interview of the Kaiser saying that he only wanted peace. This shows that the German government already feared that a powerful country like Britain could turn against Germany and easily cause war.
A bigger step toward war occurred when Caprivi did not renew the Reinsurance Treaty between Russia and Germany, since he thought that an alliance with Russia was unacceptable. The fall of treaty not the only thing that angered Russia, but when the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) was renewed Russia felt isolated. Because of her isolation, Russia allied with France. This was Bismarck’s nightmare.
Germany believed that Britain would not get involves with all the alliances and so she did little to win Britain over and have her as an alliance. However, Germany’s actions only caused Britain to turn against her. In 1907 the Triple Entente was formed which included Russia, France and Britain and this formation concluded Europe’s division.
Tensions Occurred after that. A crisis in the Balkans occurred between Russia and Austria and when Germany supported Austria, Russia was forced to step down causing her determination to get revenge. Tensions occurred between Germany and Britain when Britain realized how strong the German navy had become. It was only a matter of time for the war to begin.
The assassination of the new Austrian king, in 1914, was the last step towards war. A Serb extremist had murdered him and therefore if Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia would have to get involved, along with all the allies. Austria declared war on Serbia and thus, the First World War had begun.
All these events show that the countries of Europe knew that war was likely to happen and therefore all they did was provoke it and speed the war. All these alliances and tensions point out that war already occurred in the people’s minds.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Germany Chapter 2
Guided Reading:
Question:
1) Why did Bismarck resign? What might this say about the state and intentions of Germany in the upcoming era?
I believe that Bismarck resigned due to his clash of personality with the new Kaiser. Despite his efforts to continue do thing his own way like he did before Wilhelm I died, the new Kaiser denied them all. Towards the end everyone in the government turned against him, for example when the new Reichstag was elected the two Parties that got the most seats were the Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party which both loathed Bismarck.
Bismarck was not a socialist in contrary with Wilhelm II who believed n change and wanted to give more privileges to the middle and working classed. This shows that after Bismarck’s resignation Germany would face many changes. I believe that in the upcoming era Germany will become more Democratic.
Question:
1) Why did Bismarck resign? What might this say about the state and intentions of Germany in the upcoming era?
I believe that Bismarck resigned due to his clash of personality with the new Kaiser. Despite his efforts to continue do thing his own way like he did before Wilhelm I died, the new Kaiser denied them all. Towards the end everyone in the government turned against him, for example when the new Reichstag was elected the two Parties that got the most seats were the Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party which both loathed Bismarck.
Bismarck was not a socialist in contrary with Wilhelm II who believed n change and wanted to give more privileges to the middle and working classed. This shows that after Bismarck’s resignation Germany would face many changes. I believe that in the upcoming era Germany will become more Democratic.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Germany Chapter 1
Guided Reading
PART I:
Define and give the significance of the following terms as they relate to The unification of Germany and the road to World War One (this means write two sentences, one that defines the term and a second which says why its important related to the unit of study):
Kaiser Wilhelm –
Brother of King Fredrich Wilhelm IV, whose country suffered a constitutional crisis. In order to keep his throne and propositions, Kaiser Wilhelm appointed Otto von Bismarck as Minister-President so he could pass the bill of the now expensive Prussian army through the Parliament to gain their approval in strengthening the army.
Zollverein –
A Prussian Customs Unity that included a single, low tariff which was charged at Prussia’s border when trading occurred. Neighboring states joined the Zollverein, which excluded Austria and this was a significant fact because the growth in the economy could potentially lead to a political union without Austria.
Crimean War –
In this war Austria had offered her support to Russia, Britain and France and therefore had gained three powerful allies, but lost them when he alienated Russia without ensuring the support of neither Britain nor France. This is important because when Austria was economically desperate she had no help.
Otto von Bismarck –
Appointed Minister-President in 1862 after the king was in a constitutional crisis. Played a significant role in the unification of Germany.
The Seven Weeks War –
War between Austria and Prussia, mostly provoked by Prussia, Bismarck. Bismarck occupied Holstein after Austria had broken the Gastein treaty and when war ended Bismarck decided not to annex any Austrian because he feared that Austria would ally with any of other Prussia’s enemies.
Schleswig and Holstein –
Two duchies under Danish sovereignty which were very popular. At first, after the Gastein Treaty, Holstein would be administered by Austria and Schleswig would be governed by Prussia under joint sovereignty, but after the success of Prussia in the Seven Weeks War, Prussia took over both duchies.
Franco Prussian War –
It started due to the provocation of Bismarck when the incident with the Ems Telegram occurred. Prussia had a potential victory because: Austria had no reason to ally with France, German army was in good shape and all equipments were effective. The outcome of this war, Prussia’s victory, was about to cause tension and ensured a a long rivalry and hatred between the two countries.
The Ems Telegram –
A telegram from King Wilhelm to Bismarck emphasizing the King’s meeting with the French Ambassador, who had been sent by Gramont, the French Foreign Minister, to pressure Wilhelm to renounce Prince Leopold’s claim of the Spanish crown, permanently. This telegram is important because it was edited by Bismarck to firmly insult the French, by Wilhelm, and then published in Berlin and therefore provoking war with France.
Alsace and Lorraine –
French territories annexed to Germany, after France was forced to sign the Treaty of Frankfurt due to her loss in the Franco Prussian war. Also, due to France’s loss of territories, it was forced to pay an indemnity of 5 billion francs.
PART II: Answer the following questions in simple note taking form. You will NOT find direct answers to these questions in the text as they are designed for you to read, understand and synthesize the information into broad concepts. Be sure you write in such a way that you understand and can study from your comments.
1) What was Europe like in the early to mid-1800s?
Europeans were defined by social classes, the population expanded rapidly, nationalism grew, society became more urban.
2) Which factor seems to be most disruptive to European passivity, economics, politics or nationalism/ethnicity? Give evidence.
I believe that politics is the factor that seems to be an obsession to Europe, particularly political union in Germany. Prussia’s desperate attempts to unite Germany, for example: The Zollverein, although an economical union, Bismarck hoped it would lead to political union which did not. Bismarck’s war with Austria in order to gain some German land and rule it under the same constitution and his war with France that eventually had an outcome of political unity.
3) What was successful and unsuccessful about the Zollverein? About other attempts at political structure in the mid-1800s?
Protected political independence, and many states were hostile towards Prussia.
4) Who was to blame for, and what were the outcomes of the Franco-Prussian War?
Bismarck is to be blamed for the Franco Prussian was due to his provocative action towards France, by humiliating Napoleon when he lost Luxemburg and his insulting words to the king of France. Germany was finally united.
5) In terms of the German Unification, rank the following factors in order of importance and provide a brief description of AND directly quoted evidence in support for your chosen order: Economy, Military build up, Bismarck’s leadership, Nationalism, and the provocation of other countries.
Bismarck’s leadership: He never gave and always insisted in uniting Germany and his devotion is shown by his smart leadership, a leadership that first needed to have a strong government : “Bismarck Finally ended the conflict over the army bill in Parliament by persuading the king to admit he was at fault and by successfully requesting Parliament’s approval for his actions over the previous four years.”(pp20)
Provocation of other countries: France’s provocation led to Bismarck’s drastic actions right before the war: “Garmont, the French Foreign Minister, insisted that Wilhelm should renounce Leopold’s claim permanently with the Prussian King, independently of Bismarck, refused to do.”(pp23)
Economy: The Zollverein was Prussia’s attempt to German union: “The four southern states were allowed to join the Zollverein and, in June 1867, Bismarck forced them to accept a new Zollparlament (customs union parliament). This organization would be dominated by Prussia and would include members of the North German Reichstag and elected members of the four southern states."(pp21)
Nationalism: This was another major factor because if a country like France lost to Prussia that would mean a German unification and therefore all countries would be ruled under the same constitution, like an empire,
Military build up: Prussia was positive and sure that she would win the war because of her high morale due to a good army: “The German army (to all intents and purposes the Prussian army) was in good shape.” (pp23)
PART I:
Define and give the significance of the following terms as they relate to The unification of Germany and the road to World War One (this means write two sentences, one that defines the term and a second which says why its important related to the unit of study):
Kaiser Wilhelm –
Brother of King Fredrich Wilhelm IV, whose country suffered a constitutional crisis. In order to keep his throne and propositions, Kaiser Wilhelm appointed Otto von Bismarck as Minister-President so he could pass the bill of the now expensive Prussian army through the Parliament to gain their approval in strengthening the army.
Zollverein –
A Prussian Customs Unity that included a single, low tariff which was charged at Prussia’s border when trading occurred. Neighboring states joined the Zollverein, which excluded Austria and this was a significant fact because the growth in the economy could potentially lead to a political union without Austria.
Crimean War –
In this war Austria had offered her support to Russia, Britain and France and therefore had gained three powerful allies, but lost them when he alienated Russia without ensuring the support of neither Britain nor France. This is important because when Austria was economically desperate she had no help.
Otto von Bismarck –
Appointed Minister-President in 1862 after the king was in a constitutional crisis. Played a significant role in the unification of Germany.
The Seven Weeks War –
War between Austria and Prussia, mostly provoked by Prussia, Bismarck. Bismarck occupied Holstein after Austria had broken the Gastein treaty and when war ended Bismarck decided not to annex any Austrian because he feared that Austria would ally with any of other Prussia’s enemies.
Schleswig and Holstein –
Two duchies under Danish sovereignty which were very popular. At first, after the Gastein Treaty, Holstein would be administered by Austria and Schleswig would be governed by Prussia under joint sovereignty, but after the success of Prussia in the Seven Weeks War, Prussia took over both duchies.
Franco Prussian War –
It started due to the provocation of Bismarck when the incident with the Ems Telegram occurred. Prussia had a potential victory because: Austria had no reason to ally with France, German army was in good shape and all equipments were effective. The outcome of this war, Prussia’s victory, was about to cause tension and ensured a a long rivalry and hatred between the two countries.
The Ems Telegram –
A telegram from King Wilhelm to Bismarck emphasizing the King’s meeting with the French Ambassador, who had been sent by Gramont, the French Foreign Minister, to pressure Wilhelm to renounce Prince Leopold’s claim of the Spanish crown, permanently. This telegram is important because it was edited by Bismarck to firmly insult the French, by Wilhelm, and then published in Berlin and therefore provoking war with France.
Alsace and Lorraine –
French territories annexed to Germany, after France was forced to sign the Treaty of Frankfurt due to her loss in the Franco Prussian war. Also, due to France’s loss of territories, it was forced to pay an indemnity of 5 billion francs.
PART II: Answer the following questions in simple note taking form. You will NOT find direct answers to these questions in the text as they are designed for you to read, understand and synthesize the information into broad concepts. Be sure you write in such a way that you understand and can study from your comments.
1) What was Europe like in the early to mid-1800s?
Europeans were defined by social classes, the population expanded rapidly, nationalism grew, society became more urban.
2) Which factor seems to be most disruptive to European passivity, economics, politics or nationalism/ethnicity? Give evidence.
I believe that politics is the factor that seems to be an obsession to Europe, particularly political union in Germany. Prussia’s desperate attempts to unite Germany, for example: The Zollverein, although an economical union, Bismarck hoped it would lead to political union which did not. Bismarck’s war with Austria in order to gain some German land and rule it under the same constitution and his war with France that eventually had an outcome of political unity.
3) What was successful and unsuccessful about the Zollverein? About other attempts at political structure in the mid-1800s?
Protected political independence, and many states were hostile towards Prussia.
4) Who was to blame for, and what were the outcomes of the Franco-Prussian War?
Bismarck is to be blamed for the Franco Prussian was due to his provocative action towards France, by humiliating Napoleon when he lost Luxemburg and his insulting words to the king of France. Germany was finally united.
5) In terms of the German Unification, rank the following factors in order of importance and provide a brief description of AND directly quoted evidence in support for your chosen order: Economy, Military build up, Bismarck’s leadership, Nationalism, and the provocation of other countries.
Bismarck’s leadership: He never gave and always insisted in uniting Germany and his devotion is shown by his smart leadership, a leadership that first needed to have a strong government : “Bismarck Finally ended the conflict over the army bill in Parliament by persuading the king to admit he was at fault and by successfully requesting Parliament’s approval for his actions over the previous four years.”(pp20)
Provocation of other countries: France’s provocation led to Bismarck’s drastic actions right before the war: “Garmont, the French Foreign Minister, insisted that Wilhelm should renounce Leopold’s claim permanently with the Prussian King, independently of Bismarck, refused to do.”(pp23)
Economy: The Zollverein was Prussia’s attempt to German union: “The four southern states were allowed to join the Zollverein and, in June 1867, Bismarck forced them to accept a new Zollparlament (customs union parliament). This organization would be dominated by Prussia and would include members of the North German Reichstag and elected members of the four southern states."(pp21)
Nationalism: This was another major factor because if a country like France lost to Prussia that would mean a German unification and therefore all countries would be ruled under the same constitution, like an empire,
Military build up: Prussia was positive and sure that she would win the war because of her high morale due to a good army: “The German army (to all intents and purposes the Prussian army) was in good shape.” (pp23)
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