Transcript Unit 1 Notes File

Imperialism
Policy by which powerful nations or peoples
seek to extend and maintain control or influence over weaker
nations or peoples.
Nationalism

A sense of national devotion that fosters
loyalty to one's country.
Colony

a territory that is controlled by another
power/powerful nation.
Triple Alliance

Alliance initiated by Germany that united
Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. It's
purpose was to isolate France in the
event of War.
Triple Entente

Alliance between France, Russia and
Britain It was formed in response to the
rising powers of Germany, AustriaHungary and Italy (The Triple Alliance).
Ultimatum

A final proposal of terms which, when
rejected, may end negotiations and
result in war.
Major World Powers

See p. 23 in text
1.1.3 Three Motivation for
Imperialism

1) Economic (Gold)

the need to expand their economies, to
acquire raw materials and additional
sources of labor, or to find outlets for
surplus capital and markets for surplus
goods.
2) Political (Glory)
countries are motivated to expand by the
desire for power, prestige, security, and
diplomatic advantages.
3) Ideological / Moral Motives - God)
 religious beliefs force states into
imperialism as a "missionary activity".
 Britain's colonial empire was motivated
at least in part by the idea that it was the
"white man's burden" to civilize
"backward" peoples.
 Germany's expansion was based on a
belief in the inherent superiority of
German national culture.

1.1.4 Origins of WW1
1)Nationalism
Germany took Alsace-Lorraine from
France following the Franco-Prussian
War in 1871
 This caused bitter resentment towards
Germany by France
 The region became a focus of French
Nationalism.

Germany wanted to become an imperial
power but Britain and France had all the
desirable places in the world.
 Germany felt that the British and French
were trying to stop their dreams of an
empire.

Austria-Hungary was trying to hold on to
its empire, this was difficult due to the
many nationalities inside .
 The Russians were encouraging Serbs
in A-H to break free. Russia saw this as
a way to increase its influence in the
region and gain control of the
Dardanelles ( access to a warm water
port.)
 This interference upset A-H

2. Economic Rivalry/ Imperialism
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In the early 1900's Germany’s industry is starting to
outgrow the industries of Britain and France.
In 1914 Germany was producing twice as much steel
as Britain.
Its industries were newer because of the late
industrialization.
Better education system based upon science and
technology
British and French economies could not keep pace
with Germany
Resulting in further economic tension in Europe.
Quarrels over territory among empires
created tension.
 Examples: Boer War , Russo-Japanese
war and the Morrocan Affair.

3. Arms Race
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British policy was to have a navy twice the
size of its next rival.
Germany was aggressively building a navy
to rival Britain's, causing them to be
suspicious of their motives.
This will result in Britain joining the Triple
Entente.
Militarism was popular.
The building up of huge armies and navies.
Stockpiling of weapons.
4. Alliances
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Creation of alliances divided Europe into
armed camps.
The Triple Alliance : Germany, AustriaHungary, and Italy.
The Triple Entente : Britain, France, and
Russia.
Tensions increased again!
A small war could easily turn into a world
war due to complex alliance agreements.
1.1.5 Formation of Alliances

Formation of Alliances before WWI

In 1879, Germany entered into a
defensive alliance with Austria-Hungary.
It was known as the “Dual Alliance”
against Russia and France. In 1882 ,
Italy joined the Dual Alliance and thus
started the Triple Alliance. The purpose
was to isolate France.
In 1887, Bismarck ( German Chancellor
) persuaded Russia to sign the
Reinsurance Treaty. In 1890 Wilhelm II
allowed this treaty to lapse. Russia in
turn formed an alliance with France in
1894. In 1904, France entered into a
defensive alliance with Britain known as
the “Entente Cordiale.”
 By 1907 Britain had joined France and
Russia to form the Triple Entente.

1.1.6
Time Line of the Major Steps to War
between
June 28 - August 4, 1914

Page 41
1.1.7
Read Pages 38-41

1. What was the impact of Austria-Hungary's
annexation of Bosnia Herzegovina on Serbian
nationalism?

2. Explain the effect of the formation of the Balkan
League and the Balkan wars in 1912 & 13 had on
Austro-Hungarian -Serbian relations.

3. What opportunity did the Austro-Hungarian
government see as a result of the assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand?

4. What was the German governments response to
the assassination?
1.1.8 Attitudes Toward War

Read “Voices” on page 44 in your text
and summarize British and German
attitudes towards war before 1914.
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• Britain was concerned with keeping the
“status quo”. For generations they had fought
for European supremacy and had no
intentions of falling from their position as
Europe’s most powerful nation. They were
“propelled by a legacy”.
• Britain saw Germany’s expansion of their
navy as a direct threat to their own naval
supremacy.
• Germany believed that war was a supreme
test of a country’s spirit and was an expression
of a superior culture. It was also an outlet for
countries to grow and expand their culture.
• Germany was upset that the best colonies
were all taken and the only way to grow in
strength was by taking over new territory
through war.
 Countries like England and France had
gained colonies all over the world and
Germany felt it was a conspiracy to keep
its country down.
 • Both countries believed that the war
would be quick and over before winter set
in.
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1.2.1 Terms
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Schlieffen Plan: Germany’s military strategy in
1914 for attacking France through its
unprotected Belgian border.
Battle of the Marne: Critical battle in which
allied forces held and launched a
counterattack that stalled the German
offensive; trench warfare resulted.
Battle of Tannenberg: Battle where the
Germans defeated the Russia’s 2nd army,
killing 30,000 and capturing another 100,000.
Russian General Samsonov shot himself
rather than face his men or the Czar.
Battle of the Somme: British offensive in
July 1916 that was designed to break
through German lines/trenches. It failed as
hundreds of thousands of young soldiers
died for little territorial gain.
 Battle of Beaumont Hamel: Battle in which
the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (752
members) crossed no-man’s-land to attack
German lines on July,1st,1916. After 40
minutes 91% of the regiment had become
causalities.
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Zimmerman Telegraph: secret message sent
from Germany to Mexico promising Mexico
American territory i.e. Texas, Arizona, and
New Mexico, if they became a German ally.
The message was intercepted by the British
and given to the U.S.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Treaty between
Germany and Russia (Lenin/Communist) that
brought and end to fighting. Russia lost 1/3 of
its population, farmland, and all of its coal
reserves.
Armistice: a temporary truce between two
opposing armies.
1.2.2 Allied and Central Powers
See map p.50
1.2.3 Trench Warfare and
Stalemate
When WW1 broke out leaders on both
sides believed that “ the boys would be
home for Christmas”. They were all
wrong!
 Germany’s Schlieffen Plan, was
designed to give Germany a quick
victory, however allied victory at the
Battle of the Marne denied Germany its
victory over France.
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After the Fall of 1914 it became obvious
that neither side could deal a final blow
to the other, so opposing forces dug
trenches from the North Sea to the
Swiss border ( Western Front ). The
war in France had become a stalemate
due to the trenches and new weapons
such as the machine gun.

The trenches protected troops from deadly
artillery and machine gun fire. The
trenches were protected by mines and barb
wire. The area between the Allied and
Central Powers trenches was known as noman’s-land. The troops would be ordered
“over the top” to race across no-man’s-land
to attack the enemy; only to be
slaughtered. This led to a war of attrition(
slow wearing down of men and resources).
For the next three years fighting on the
Western Front only preserved the
stalemate.
1.2.4 Technologies of war

Refer to Handout
1.2.5
The Nature of the War on the
Eastern & Western Fronts
The Western Front
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By October 1914, both the Allies and
Central Powers had dug a line of
trenches from the North Sea to the
Swiss frontier.
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Both sides now faced each other across
no-man’s-land and a tragic stalemate
developed.
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The trenches remained virtually stationary
in spite of the massive battles fought.
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Both sides suffered tremendous losses in
this war of attrition.
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When the war ended both sides were in
the same positions they had established in
1914.
The Eastern Front
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The Eastern Front was much more mobile.
Here there were large-scale battles
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Example (Tannenberg) with considerable
movement and huge casualties.
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The trench system was not nearly as
strong and German forces won
tremendous victories against Russian
forces.
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Within the first 2 months of the war Russia
had lost 2 armies.
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Russian soldiers frequently ran out of
weapons and ammunition and had to fight
with pitchforks and swords.
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The constant defeats led to a shifting front
line and eventually Russia's withdrawal
from the war.
1.2.6
The United States entry into
World War I

The United States was determined to
remain neutral during World War I

They viewed the war as a battle between
European nations.

During the war the United States became
increasingly rich and powerful as they
shipped produce and manufactured goods,
including war materials across the ocean.

The United States exports rose from $2
billion to $6 billion annually.

Because of the good business the
United States was doing it expected
warring nations to respect the "freedom
of the sea" and protested against British
& German blockades.
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1915, Germany declared the waters
around Britain a war zone
warning that the safety of neutral vessels
would not be guaranteed.
On May 7, a British liner , the Lusitania
was torpedoed by Germany.
Of the 1198 victims, 128 were American.
The incident shocked Americans and
turned public opinion against Germany

United States President Woodrow
Wilson warned that another such attack
would be determined "unfriendly".

Germany not wishing to draw the
United States into the war loosened the
blockade around Britain for 2 years.
lusitania Recruitment Poster
Another factor besides Germany's use
of unrestricted submarine warfare that
may have helped bring the United
States into the war was the Zimmerman
Telegram
 telegram sent from Germany to Mexico
promising Mexico United States territory
if it entered the war Germany's on side.

In February 1917 Germany began a
campaign of unrestricted submarine
warfare.
 Germany hoped it could cut off supplies to
Britain and force it to surrender before the
United States could mobilize and send
troops.
 In February and March several United
States ships were sunk and on April 6,
1917 the United States declared war on
Germany.
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1.2.7
Impact of America's entry and
Russia's Withdrawal On
World War I
US Troops Leaving for France
Russia's Withdrawal
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The New Communist Government in Russia
negotiated an armistice
Treaty of Brest- Litovsk with the Central
Powers.
This armistice was a devastating blow to the
Allies for variety of reasons.
Germany could relieve it's food shortages by
using agricultural products from parts of
Russia.
Germany could now concentrate its forces on
the Western Front against France & Britain.
Russian losses after withdrawal
What America Gave to the Allies
when they entered the war
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A fresh supply of soldiers.
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Increased the morale of the allied soldiers who were
disheartened after 3 years of fighting.
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Access to the world's largest Industrial economy.
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Access to large and growing navy.
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Access to large population to help with the war
effort.
1.2.8
Questions
1. Explain how WWI:
 A. Changed the status of women in
Canada?
 B. Changed the Canadian economy
 C. Changed Canada's political
role/reputation in the world.

1.2.9.Assess Responsibility for
the War
• Alliance system
 • Nationalism
 • Imperialism
 • Arms Race (Naval Race)
 • attitudes towards war
 • role of the Kaiser
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responsibility for the outbreak of World
War I was partially shared. However, it
can be argued that Germany and
Austria-Hungary can take more
responsibility than other nations as the
“smoking gun” for turning a small
squabble into a major conflict rests with
Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Explain why you think each of the
following countries went to war:
Britain
 Germany
 France
 Russia
 Austria-Hungary

Based on the source below and your
knowledge of history, assess the
issue of responsibility for the
outbreak of the First World War.
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“To protect Germany’s sea trade and colonies...
Germany must have a battle fleet so strong that even
for the adversary [enemy] with the greatest sea
power, a war against [Germany] would involve such
dangers as to imperil (hurt) its own position in the
world.”
- Quote from the Second German Naval Law, June
1900
1.3.1 Wilson’s Fourteen Points
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1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants
openly arrived at").
2. Free navigation of all seas.
3. An end to all economic barriers between countries.
4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers.
5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be
impartial
6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia.
Russia should be left to develop her own political
set-up.
7. Belgium should be independent like before the
war.
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8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover
Alsace-Lorraine
9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's
borders are to "along clearly recognizable lines of
nationality."
10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living
in Austria-Hungary.
11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence
should be allowed for the Balkan states.
12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish
government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should
govern themselves.
13. An independent Poland should be created which
should have access to the sea.
14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the
political and territorial independence of all states.
1.3.2 French / British objectives
at Paris Peace Conference

The 30 victorious Allied countries met in
Paris, in 1919, to design a peace treaty.

Decisions were made by Britain, France
and the United States

Defeated nations were not given any input
at the peace conference

Germany felt the peace treaty would be
based on Wilson's 14 Points.
1.3.2
French Objectives

1. National Security: Germany had invaded
France twice in the last 50 years, thus France
wanted to remove the threat of Germany.

2. Financial Reparations: Northern France
was destroyed as a result of the war. Mines,
railways and farm fields had been destroyed.
As a result France demanded that Germany
pay for war damages (reparations) and give
France control of it's Saar Valley (coal).

France was bent on Revenge.
The “Big Three”
British Objectives

Control of the Sea: Britain with its large
empire wanted to control the sea as a
result the German navy had to be limited.

Contain Bolshevism/Communism: Britain
now feared the growth of Bolshevism/
Communism in Russia and thus did not
want Germany to become to weak so as to
fall into the hands of Bolsheviks.

Britain had selfish interests.
1.3.3 Main Terms of Treaty of
Versailles

See Text
1.3.4
Treaty Of Versailles
Just????

Following the end of World War I Germany
set up a democratic form of government.

This government was referred to as the
Weimar Republic.

The Weimar Republic faced many problems
as a result of the Treaty of Versailles and
weaknesses in the new constitution.

Germans called it a dictated peace
because they had no say in the making of
the Treaty.

Germans felt the military terms left their
country vulnerable to invasion by
neighboring countries.

The "War Guilt Clause" was seen as unfair
as most Germans did not feel they were
responsible for causing the war.

Germans resented paying huge amounts of
reparations to countries they feel shared the blame
for the war.

Germans felt the Treaty would be based on Wilson's
14 Points, especially national self determination,

yet Germans found themselves ruled by Danes,
Poles and Czechs.

Germany felt it would be a full member of the
League of Nations however it was refused
membership.
1.3.5 Purpose of the League of
Nations
Established an international organization
to settle disputes between countries
before they lead to war.
First mentioned in Wilson’s fourteen
points.
U.S. never joined and returned to their
policy of isolationism .
Germany was forbidden to join by the
Treaty of Versailles.
1.3.6 Impact of the Treaty

The new Weimar Republic was forced to
sign the Treaty.

As a result Germans always associated
the new Democratic government with the
humiliating treaty.

Often this government were referred to as
the "November Criminals" (armistice was
signed in November) and accused of
stabbing the army in the back.

The Weimar Republics association with
the Versailles Treaty was always used
against it by it's enemies (Hitler).

Extremists were determined to
overthrow the Republic.
Economically

Germany could not afford to pay the
Reparations 28.8 billion.

The country was economically exhausted
by the war.

Regions that could make money such as
the Saar coalfields had been taken.

By 1923 Germany fell behind in reparation
payments.

French and Belgian troops invaded
Germany's industrial heart the Ruhr and
took the goods they needed.

To deal with economic problems the
German government began printing so
much money to pay its bills that German
money became worthless (Hyperinflation).

1923 Hitler tries to take over with a military
coup & fails.