On the Path to War: The World On The Eve Of World War I
1. United Kingdom (Britain)
Although you are an island off the coast of
continental Europe, you are considered the
leading industrial power. You are also the
world’s greatest naval power and control trade
in the Atlantic Ocean and beyond. You have
colonies all over Africa and Asia and you
control all of India. However, the recently
unified German Empire (1871) and its growing
naval, industrial and colonial expansion worry
you. You are afraid that Germany may
become more powerful than you are and
threaten your worldwide Empire.
2. France
You were defeated by Otto Von Bismarck’s
Germany (also known as Prussia) in the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. You still
feel humiliated by the defeat and the peace
treaty that was signed afterwards, which forced
you to give up some of your territory (the
Alsace-Lorraine region) to the German Empire. You are determined never to be defeated by Germany again and to regain the
land you lost. In the past fifty years, you have become an imperial power, with colonies all over Africa and even in parts of Asia.
You are also becoming more industrialized and fear the rapid growth and industrialization of the German Empire.
3. Germany
You are the fastest growing power. You have the second most powerful navy in Europe, built in the past 20 years in a naval race
to catch up with Great Britain. You and England are also competing for world industrial output—meaning although the world
has been fully imperialized, you still need more resources, sources of labor and markets. You have the most powerful land army in
Europe. In 1871, you defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871 and you acquired some territory (the Alsace-Lorraine
region) that you believed belonged to you. You want the rest of Europe to take your new power seriously, to respect your colonies
in Africa and Asia and to recognize that the territory you won in the Franco-Prussian War is yours. If the rest of Europe will
not take you seriously, or give up more territory and resources, you may have to demonstrate your strength to them.
4. Russia
You are the largest empire in Europe and Asia. Along with your European neighbors you have become more industrialized over
the past fifty years. Nevertheless, despite your size and your gradual modernization you have some glaring weaknesses. Most
importantly, you need control of a set of strategic ports in the Southwest part of your country. These ports, known as the
Dardanelles, would give you access to the Mediterranean Sea and to trade with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the
Ottoman Empire (Turkey) controls these waterways. Also, in order to become a strong player in Europe, you feel that it
necessary to limit the growing strength of Austria-Hungary and of Germany. In addition, you are concerned because you feel
that the ethnic group known as the Slavic people is being oppressed by Austria-Hungary. Most of the people in Russia are Slavs,
so you feel a natural connection and are willing to stand up for your “Slavic brothers” to create a sense of national unity—PanSlavism—among all of these related groups across different countries. This ethnic identity has given rise to nationalist movements
among people like the Bosnians and Serbs that you feel you must support
5. Austria-Hungary
The Dual-Empire. Your empire is made up of a mixture of nationalities that sometimes barely holds itself together. The
Hungarians want their rights, the Serbs and Croats want theirs, and there are also the Bosnians, the Czechs and the Slovaks.
Russia has recently interfered in your empire on behalf of an ethnic group of people known as the Slavs. You feel a strong
connection to Germany, because you speak the same language and have the same cultural heritage, so when necessary, you turn to
assistance and support from your German cousins. You also feel the need to prove your strength in Europe and feel that it is
your right to control parts of Europe that used to belong to the Ottoman Empire (Turkey).
6. Empire of Japan
During the glorious Meiji Restoration era, you have recently proven to the world that you are a fully industrialized,
modernized, militarized, imperial nation by decisively winning wars against China (the Sino-Japanese War, 1894-5) and
Russia (the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-5). However, you came late to the imperial table and still need more access to resources,
labor and markets that the European powers already get through their extensive colonial empires. You know that trouble is
brewing in Europe, and realize that if you play your cards right—by choosing to join the winning alliance—you stand to gain what
you need from the losers…
7. Serbia
You are a small nation in the Southeastern part of Europe known as the Balkan Peninsula. This region was controlled by the
Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years until the Empire began to weaken (earning it the nickname “The Sick Man of Europe”)
and the Austro-Hungarian began to expand into the power vacuum. You are made up primarily of an ethnic group of people
known as the Slavs. You have a natural connection to Russia because Russia is also made up Slavic people. In fact, several other
of the neighboring small nations are also populated by Slavs that have been yearning to regain their independence after hundreds
of years under large Empires (Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Byzantine—all the way back to Rome!) Right now, you have achieved
an uneasy freedom in the region, but are afraid that your western neighbor, Austria-Hungary, may try to annex or conquer under
the excuse that they already possess a large Serbian region and population in their empire, but really because Austria-Hungary
wants to expand to prove its power and influence in the region is stronger than both Russia’s and the Ottoman Empire’s. You,
however, would like to see a united Serbia (meaning, the Serbian regions of Austria-Hungary must break off and join you), and
you are pleased that your Russian and other Pan-Slavic brothers are supportive in this effort. Sound complicated and like a bomb
just ready to explode? Well, that’s why the Balkans have recently earned the nickname “The Powder Keg of Europe”. The world
knows that when the Great War breaks out, it will probably be in your backyard…
8. Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
Geographically, you are located in the center of everything, right between Asia, Europe and Africa. As a result, you face a lot of
pressure from other European powers. For example, Russia wants control of the waterways that lead out of the Black Sea and
into the Mediterranean Sea. These waterways are known as the Dardanelles Straits and they are currently part of your Empire.
You have gone to war in the past to prevent Russia from seizing control of this land. Other countries (like Britain and France)
often support you in this effort to prevent Russia from growing too strong—but your reliance on the aid of the Western Powers
also exposes your weakness. To your west, Austria-Hungary would like to take advantage of this weakness by expanding into and
annexing your territory it into its own empire. Unfortunately, your glory days are behind you—you have not kept up with the
European powers in terms of industrialization and militarization. And you have not matched the success of nations like Japan,
whose Meiji modernization movement
has made it an imperial power equal to the
nations of Western Europe In fact, for the
past fifty years or so, your Ottoman
Empire has gradually been losing power
and influence, to the point at which your
empire is known as the “Sick Man of
Europe.” You have lost territories such
as Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia
and other Balkan lands (many as recently
as 1913 in the Balkan Wars), either to
nationalist independence movements or
to the Austrians or Russians. You would
like to rebuild the strength of your empire
and possibly win back some of your lands.
To do this, you realize that you might
need to enter into alliances in order to
prevent other countries from taking more
of your land. Who are your best options
for alliance? Choose wisely…