WWI - Road to WWI (Lesson)

Road to WWI.

By 1870, all the major powers that would participate in WWI were in place. Their foreign policies from 1870 to 1890 would, in many ways, set the stage for WWI.

At this point, England is the number one power in Europe. It had been the first to industrialize and it was still well ahead of all other nations (steel production, paper use, etc.) until 1890, when Germany began to surpass it. England was the biggest imperial power, with India, Canada, and its plans for the Cape Cairo railroad. It had the Suez Canal (which was its "lifeline" and it would protect at all costs) as well. The English navy was also bigger than all the others in the world combined! England's only concern with Europe was for the balance of power and nothing more – it was not interested in peacetime alliances.

France appeared to be coming back into it's own after issues including the Paris Commune and the Dreyfus Affair and the French Third Republic seemed solidly established. Going into the 20th century, the main goal for France was to regain control of Alsace-Lorraine (the "lost provinces"). Consequently, they had a vendetta against Germany. In imperialism, they were the second place power with many African States and influence in China and Southeast Asia.

Russia had only recently freed its serfs and had not really industrialized, primarily because it needed a middle class and trade - neither of which it had. Russia's goal was the ever present search for a warm water port, which it would need for trade. It was determined that the best option was to get one on the Mediterranean, from Turkey, which would be easily done if not for England as England wished to maintain peace near its lifeline, and continually halted Russia's advances. Another option was to encourage Pan-Slavism and, therefore, causing the disintegration of Austria-Hungary, but this obviously brings them into great conflict with Austria-Hungary.

Austria-Hungary is driven by one thing - attempting to prevent Slavic nationalism, which is being encouraged by Russia. The dual empire was created primarily so that the Magyar Hungarians and the Austrians are presenting an allied front against Slavic nationalism.

Germany is in the center of the tensions between Austria, Russia, and France. Controlled by Bismarck, Germany developed a system of peacetime alliances, all based on the fear of a two front war – or that France, whom Bismarck considered the biggest threat to Europe, might find an ally.

 

Bismarck's Alliance System.

Most important thing to keep in mind: Germany viewed France as the biggest threat to Europe. Thus, Bismarck does everything in his power to keep France isolated. The idea is to create a series of alliances to eliminate the possibility of growing tensions leading to war. A by-product of the many alliances is the ability to keep France without an ally.

Ultimately, Bismarck created a mass of entangled alliances which meant that if one nation went to war, virtually every nation in Europe would be sucked in as well. It was a great deterrent until Germany was ruled by a Kaiser, Wilhelm II, eager to test out his new military technology.

 

Ready to check them all out? here goes:

 

The Causes of WWI.

Review the activity below to learn more.

 

 

 

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