Chapter 25 - Notes (Europe and World, 1870-1914)

Traditional historical analysis understands the outbreak of WWI as connected to the broad European culture that existed between 1870 and 1914

• Specifically: Militarism, Imperialism, Nationalism and Alliances
• ore recent work has focused on the role of the mass media, authoritarian leadership, technology and industrialization

The Three Emperors League

• 1873 Bismarck joined Germany / Austria-Hungary / Russia joined
• Conservative powers
• Germany: eliminated two front war, challenged Eng. Naval power
• Austria-Hungary: Lack of industrial base, ethnic diversity
• Russia: Desire for warm water port on the Med. Sea

Ottoman Empire

• “Sick Man of Europe” – on the verge of collapse

Fiscal and ethnic problems

• Eng. / Fr. Provided aid to prevent growth of Russian influence

• Wanted to maintain a weak Ottoman State

Balkans

• Ruled by a combination of Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire

• Serbs, Bosnia-Herzegovina clamoring for independence

Instability of Alliance System:

• Franco – German tension required that German keep on good terms with Russia
• English dependency on imports meant that they had to maintain naval superiority
• Increase in German naval power seen as a direct threat (Militarism)
• Balkans presented a challenge to the Three Emperors Alliance
• Competing interest b/w Austrian-Hungarian, Russia and Balkan ethnic groups created conflict
• Congress of Berlin 1878: Bismarck brokered a settlement between England, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire over the Balkans
• A.H. gained control over Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Serbian nationalism was abandoned by Russia
• Ottomans kept Constantinople
• Created a sharp division b/w Russia and Germany
• Dual Alliance: Strong alliance b/w Germany and Austria-Hungary in response to the weakening of Russian loyalty
• 1882 Italy joined the Dual Alliance = Triple Alliance
• 1885 Bulgaria and Serbia began another Balkan Crisis
• Created division and tension b/w Russia & Austria-Hungary
• Germany sided with Austria-Hungary, Russia backed down
• Bismarck crafted the Reinsurance Treaty in 1887 to patch up bad blood with Russia
• 1890 Bismarck left office, Russian alliance faded away
• 1894 Russia shifted alliance and joined France, 1907 Great Britain joined to make the Triple Entente
• 1908-1909 Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Slap in the face to Russia, they decide that they will not back down again

Imperialism:

• 1870-1914 brought with it a “new imperialism” characterized by industrialization, intensification and increased technology
• Technology:
• Steam ship
• Railroads
• Suez Canal / Panama Canal
• Guns
• Communication
• Medicine: Quinine
• Motives:
• Economic: Connected to the demand for natural resources for their industrial economies
• Nationalism
• Greater sense of National prestige
• Driven by mass media / newspapers
• Hobson, Psychology of Jingoism 1901: derided the use of “invented patriotism” to drive demand for war / conquest
• Colonial territories used as bargaining chips by the Great Powers
• Geopolitics: Politics of geography
• Strategic importance, fueling stations, trade routes, mineral resources
• Led to a Naval arms race – drove heavy industry
• Patterns of Imperialism
• Direct v. Indirect Rule
• “the scramble for Africa” (1875-1912): Conquest of Africa (Direct Rule)
• Driven by Mass Media
• Personal glory, mineral resources, national prestige, pseudoscientific racism, recession in Euro.
• Process had little Euro. To Euro. Conflict, but massacres were common

Ethiopia as an exception:

• Gain access to modern weapons through the Italians to fight off other Europeans
• Then rejected the Italian claims of Ethiopia as a protectorate
• Defeated Italian forces at the Battle of Adowa
• Boer War: British fought Afrikaners for control of South Africa
• GB afraid the Afrikaners would ally with Germany
• Cecil Rhodes drove public opinion and support for the war
• Bloody difficult struggle, Afrikaners eventually surrendered, gained right to decide racial settlement – segregation began
• Scramble for Africa brought France, Germany and England into direct competition

Imperialism in Asia

• India, center of British foreign policy
• Used indirect rule with a heavy British oversight
• China: Opium trade dominated English trade
• 1839 Chinese attempted to restrict opium sales
• Opium War 1839-1842
• Treaty of Nanking 1842
• Honk Kong, several other ports
• China forced to pay the cost of the war
• Forced China to accept opium trade

Boxer Rebellion: 1900 Peasant unrest turned into open rebellion, Europeans could not control population with limited forces

• Demonstrated the need for indirect rule

Critiquing Capitalism:

• J.A. Hobson, Imperialism, A Study 1902
• Under consumption & surplus capital forced imperial expansion
• Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism 1916
• Capitalism is inherently driven to imperialism
• Hobson and Lenin provide an understanding of the connection b/w imperialism and domestic problems on the part of late 19th Century political philosophy