A NEW WORLD ORDER IMPERIALISM & WWI UNITED STATES
HISTORY
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MAIN CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I M ilitarism A lliances I mperialism
N ationalism
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A NEW IMPERIALISM
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Europe in the late 19 th Century: Europe spread control over 10
million miles 2 Thats 1/5 of the worlds land & 10% of its total
population What was different? Europeans were no longer content to
tax and administer an area as it had done before. Instead, they
tried to raise production & lower costs by applying western
industrial and scientific methods.
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BEGINNINGS OF A NEW IMPERIALISM The move toward imperialism
began only in the late 19 th century because most European
countries had been stung by the loss of their overseas colonies.
For example: England with her American colonies & the Spanish
with South America. Moreover, Europeans had been influenced by the
free trade ideas of Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations, 1776) that
suggested colonies were not necessary.
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REASONS FOR IMPERIALISM Overpopulation Not a Factor in
Imperialism The settlement of overpopulation in colonies was also
not very important. Between 1875 and 1914, 36 million Europeans
emigrated; more than 2/3 coming to the United States largest
migration in the history of the world. France was the second
largest single receiver of immigrants in the world. Need for
Control European countries needed to protect their investments by
establishing political control. Investment of capital (already
produced durable goods/assets used in production of goods &
services) was more important for Britain than for France or
Germany. Raw Materials & New Markets Europeans needed raw
materials they could not produce at home to fuel the second
industrial revolution. Colonies were less important as markets
because they were not rich enough to be good markets for the
industrial manufactured goods Europe produced. Huge profits were to
be made overseas.
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NATIONAL PRESTIGE, NOBILITY, & IMPERIALISM A sense of
excitement drove Europeans into colonization, as did strategic
concerns to protect the valuable colonies they already had. Some
colonies were there strictly for national prestige. Example: German
colonies in Africa had almost no economic significance.
NAMIBIA?!
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DEVELOPMENT OF IMPERIAL RIVALRIES As European countries
competed for colonies abroad, rivalries emerged Britain vs. Russia
Britain was concerned to avoid Russian influence in the eastern
Mediterranean. To that end, she fought the Crimean War, and in
1882, seized Egypt to avoid the loss of the Suez Canal, a vital
link to British colonies like India. Britain & Greece Britain
did not want Russian naval power out of the Black Sea and this
meant British support for Greece. Russians responded by using
pan-Slavism (unity of all Slavic peoples) to the Slavic countries
of eastern Europe.
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THE RIVALRY CONTINUES EAST Britain vs. Russia The rivalry
continued in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. This became more
strident following the discovery of oil in the region.
Additionally, Britain strengthened India to keep the Russians from
moving farther south. And Britain also gave aid to Tibet and
Afghanistan to keep them from falling into the Russian orbit.
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A GENERAL AGREEMENT In 1907, a general agreement was worked out
between Britain and Russia on spheres of influence Why?!
Germany.
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IMPERIALISM IN AFRICA Africa proved to be a place to play out
imperial schemes without disturbing the peace of Europe. In 1875,
after centuries of contact, Europe had no more than 10% of African
land. 25 years later, 7 European nations controlled over 90% of the
continent. An Economic Goldmine: Gold Diamonds Rubber Coffee
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EUROPEAN DIVISIONS OF AFRICA The divisions Europeans made in
Africa for their convenience were made without reference to tribal
divisions and without reference to tribal forms of government. This
sometimes meant that very hostile tribes would find themselves in
the same country after it achieved its independence following World
War II. This would later breed endemic terrorism. The great number
of political entities in Africa (at least 10,000) mean that
Europeans were able to take advantage to pit one group against
another and so, divide and conquer.
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IMPACT OF IMPERIALISM Imperialism did create peace where
intermittent warfare had existed before. Imperialism did advance
the economies of the subject peoples as well as providing more
effective public administration. ------ This peace came at the
price of expropriation of land and goods for the exclusive use of
the imperialist elite. Europeans, for the most part, failed to
train indigenous peoples to take over after them, and Europeans
were responsible for widespread destruction of cultural
patterns.
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IMPERIALISM AND IDEAS OF WAR As wars were fought in far away
places, were too easy, and were almost always won by the Europeans,
imperialism gave Europeans a skewed idea of war. This idea of war,
helps to explain the ease with which Europe drifted into World War
I.
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PRELUDE TO WORLD WAR I
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Germany Otto von Bismarck After the Franco-Prussian War,
Bismarck was convinced a military option was too dangerous. He
sought to build up an alliance system that would isolate France and
thus prevent war. Kaiser Wilhelm II Took the throne in 1888,
however, dismissed Bismarck and took over the running of his own
foreign policy. He almost immediately created ill will with the
Russian tsar, and France moved quickly to woo Russia with loans and
arms purchases.
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BRITAIN VS. GERMANY Navy Buildup Britain feared German
domination of the continent, and when in 1898 Germany decided to
build a navy large than anyone else. Britain began to prepare for
an eventual war. Germany had long had the most powerful army on the
continent. The addition of a navy would allow Germany to transport
that army over the Channel and attack Britain, or go worldwide and
attack British colonies. German naval supremacy threatened British
livelihood as the raw materials and finished goods critical to the
British industrial revolution came and went by sea.
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BRITISH DIPLOMACY Japan Britain broke her traditional
diplomatic isolation to sign an alliance with Japan in 1902,
freeing up her fleet to concentrate on Europe. France In 1904, the
British and French buried the hatchet and signed the Entente
Cordial. Russia In 1907, the British signed an alliance with
Russia, temporarily settling issues of spheres of influence between
them.
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GERMAN REACTION Due to British diplomacy, Germany was terrified
of encirclement with Britain and France on the one side and Russia
to the other. Germany sought out her only reliable ally:
Austria-Hungary to the South. This would prove disastrous as Serbia
in the Balkans was allied with Russia in one alliance system, but
surrounded by Austria-Hungary in the other.
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WORLD WAR I ALLIANCES
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ENTANGLING ALLIANCES During this period, the major powers of
Europe began forming alliances with one another. These alliances
called the signees to come to each others aid in the event of an
attack on one. The Triple Alliance Britain France Russia The Triple
Entente Germany Austria-Hungary Turkey (Ottoman Empire)
Slide 22
AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ACTIONS In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed
Bosnia and Herzegovina, an area traditionally held by Turkey.
Following the disastrous Russo-Japanese War, Russia was in no
position to stop the annexation, although she did protest loudly.
Serbs tried to get Austria-Hungary out of the area. Serbia
attempted to form Yugoslavia, the Union of Southern Slavs.
Austria-Hungary feared this revolutionary movement, having no
intention of allowing Yugoslavia to be formed?
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