•
Relative importance of: the Alliance
System; decline of the Ottoman Empire;
Austria-Hungary and Balkan nationalism;
arms race; international and diplomatic
crises
WORLD WAR:
Germany vs. Britain
and Japan
ans
r pl
Germany vs. France & Belgium
nee
le”)
tab
tion
Germany vs. Russia
Austria-Hungary vs. Serbia
ds
+
REGIONAL
(BALKAN) WAR:
Austria-Hungary
vs. Serbia
Austria-Hungary vs. Serbia
iliza
EUROPEAN WAR:
Germany vs. Russia
b
Mo by Time
ar
(“W
Wa
July 5: A-H seeks,
receives German
“blank check”
sm
lavi
-S
Pan nces
ia
All
June 28: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (A-H)
6. European diplomacy and the First
World War, 1870-1923
Global hegemony?
Balance of power?
War profits?
6. European diplomacy and the First
World War, 1870-1923
•
Relative importance of: AustriaHungary and Balkan nationalism;
international and diplomatic crises
THE MOROCCAN CRISES:
STARRING GERMANY AND FRANCE
THE 1ST MOROCCAN CRISIS
THE 2ND MOROCCAN CRISIS (1911)
1905-06
1911
Germany publicly objected to French
interference in Morocco
German gunboat parked itself off
Moroccan coast; refused to move
Conference at Algeciras
Gunboat (The Panther) at Agadir
Likely German strategy: To test (and
splinter) British-French “friendship”
Hmmm . . . what was Germany thinking?
Result: Overall diplomatic defeat for Germany Britain stepped in to help negotiate a deal
(even Italy voted against their position)
between France & Germany
Result: France did have conditions set on Results: Germany gained some land in the
Congo, plus “gunboat diplomacy” reputation;
its future behavior in Morocco (minor
France colonized Morocco
German victory)
BOSNIAN CRISIS
(1908)
& JULY CRISIS
(1914):
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (THEREFORE GERMANY) VS.
SERBIA (THEREFORE RUSSIA)
BOSNIAN CRISIS
JULY CRISIS
Austria-Hungary annexed BosniaHerzegovina (1908)
“Black Hand” assassinated AustriaHungary’s heir (Franz Ferdinand)
Serbia objected strongly; appealed to
Russia for support
Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia; Germany
issued “Blank Check”*
Russia backed Serbian claims
Austria-Hungary sent harsh ultimatum to
Serbia
Germany bluntly threatened Russia with Assuming Russia’s support, Serbia rejected
war* if they didn’t back off
one item; A-H declared war
Russia, lacking French support**, backed
down; war averted
Russia went to general mobilization; didn’t
respond to Germany’s order to halt; WAR
* Many historians consider this a violation of the defensive intent and terms of the Triple Alliance (an “offensive” move).
** By contrast, France stuck to strictly defensive terms in 1908. There was no French “Blank Check” to Russia in 1914, but the Russians
were led to believe they would have support if they were attacked this time.
The Balkan Nationalism Threat
(1912-1914)
Serbia
THE BALKAN LEAGUE (1912;
flags at right) was formed by new
Balkan states determined to drive the
Ottoman Turks from the region
forever.
THE BALKAN WARS (1912-13) led
to the enlargement of Serbia, Greece
and Rumania, at the expense of the
Turks.
SERBIAN AMBITION threatened
the multinational Austro-Hungarian
empire, whose leaders wanted a war to
put Serbia in its place in 1914.
Bulgaria
Greece
Montenegro
AustriaHungary
Ottoman
Empire
6. European diplomacy and the First
World War, 1870-1923
•
Relative importance of: Decline of
the Ottoman Empire
6. European diplomacy and the First
World War, 1870-1923
Tangled Alliances
Triple Alliance
1882; BINDING ALLIANCE IF DEFENSIVE TERMS MET
Austria-Hungary
1870s-1880s: Germany (under
Chancellor Bismarck) created
defensive alliances to isolate
France from other nations
(which worked)
Italy
Triple Entente
LI
A
I
-B
N
N
G
D
IN
IN
D
G
AL
N
O
N
CE
Russia
N
1900s: Britain makes
friendship agreements, but not
alliances, with France &
Russia to counter Germany
Germany
BI
1890s: Germany (under Emperor
Wilhelm II), in pursuit of Britain,
cut Russia loose; FrancoRussian alliance resulted (rival
alliances now exist)
France
NON-BINDING
Britain
•
Relative importance of: the
Alliance System; arms race