The Causes of World War I

Long-term Causes of World War I

  I. Bismarck’s Web of Alliances Main aim  isolate France; stay allied with Russia – prevent a two-front war    1) The

Dreikaiserbund

(1873): G / A-H / R 2) The Dual Alliance (1879): G / A-H  Replaced

Dreikaiserbund

; mutual assistance 3) The Three Emperor’s Alliance (1881):  G / R / A-H; neutrality if others attacked

Long-term Causes of World War I

  I. Bismarck’s Web of Alliances (cont’d) 4) The Triple Alliance (1882): G / A-H / It  Mutual assistance  5) The Reinsurance Treaty (1887): G & R  Three Emperor’s Alliance ends  problems in the Balkans

Long-term Causes of World War I

        II. The New Course & Weltpolitik: Kaiser Wilhelm II  1888 1890 – resignation of Bismarck; abrupt foreign policy change 1) Germany’s “New Course” Intended to simplify Bismarck’s system 1890: Reinsurance Treaty not renewed Difficult balance between A-H & R Hope for an Anglo-German alliance



Dropping the Pilot

magazine

Punch

. Caricature by Sir John Teniel, first published in the British , March 1890. Showing German Emperor Wilhelm II and the leaving Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The reference to Bismarck as a "pilot" comes from an earlier cartoon from the Puck magazine from Saint Louis, Missouri. For that magazine, the cartoonist Joseph Keppler made one titled "The Master Pilot of the Age", featuring Bismarck on a ship, having brought it out to the high seas, from which the stars and gods looked down. This symbolized Bismarck's accomplishment of forming the Kaiserreich, which enabled Germany to be recognized as a great power.

Long-term Causes of World War I

  Results of the New Course Conditions created for the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1894  Militarily  mutual assistance if either was attacked by Germany  Also agreed to immediate mobilization if any Triple Alliance member mobilized  Politically  mutual support in imperial disputes

Long-term Causes of World War I

      2) Weltpolitik 1896: “

Nothing must henceforth be settled in the world without the intervention of Germany & the German Emperor

.”  Wilhelm II Rejection of Bismarck’s “continental policy” Emphasis was now on overseas expansion “

We don’t want to put anyone else in the shade, but we too demand our place in the sun

.” von B ülow (German FM)

Long-term Causes of World War I

        III. Imperialism Main source of tension between European powers in 1880-1905 was colonial rivalries Domination of Africa & the Far East Initially driven by economic motives Later , empire building took place due to: Social Darwinism – spread of Western Civilization was “God’s Work” Nationalistic competition Ex. The Jameson Raid & Kruger telegram

Imperialism

Colonization in 1800

Imperialism in 1900

Colonialism in 1945

The “New Imperialism”

 Cecil Rhodes : “

Expansion is everything,… I would annex the planets if I could

.”  Refers to the colonial expansion adopted by Europe and, later, Japan and the US, during the 19th and early 20th centuries  expansion took place between 1830 to 1914  The period is distinguished by an unprecedented pursuit of overseas territorial acquisitions

 Cecil Rhodes : Envisions a Cape Town to Cairo Railroad

 Pygmies and a European explorer. Some pygmies would be exposed in human zoos, such as Ota Benga displayed by eugenicist Madison Grant in the Bronx Zoo .

 A shocked mandarin in Manchu robe in the back, with Queen Victoria (Great Britain), Wilhelm II (Germany), Nicholas II (Russia), Marianne (France), and an Emperor Meiji (Japan) discussing how to cut up a plate with

Chine

("China" in French) written on it.

  

Long-term Causes of World War I

IV. The Emergence of the Alliance System

Weltpolitik

brings G & B into conflict Admiral von Tirpitz (Sec. of the Navy) – believed Germany should mount a naval challenge to Britain  The Naval Law of 1898 was pushed through the Reichstag (17 ships over next 7 years); followed by a second Naval Law in 1900  Fleet was to be used as Weltpolitik ” “the lever of

Alfred von Tirpitz and the German Imperial Navy    The

Wittelsbach

class (const. 1899 to 1904) The

Braunschweig

class (const. 1901 to 1906) The

Deutschland

class (const. 1903 and 1908)

   

Long-term Causes of World War I

IV. The … Alliance System (cont’d) Britain responds to the challenge – rejects “Splendid Isolation”  Britain begins to seek allies:  Clashed w/ France @ Fashoda  Was a rival w/ Russia in the Far East  Now faced a German naval challenge 1902 – alliance with Japan 1904 – Anglo-French Entente

Imperialism in 1900

Long-term Causes of World War I

     IV. The … Alliance System (cont’d) The

entente

with France Not a formal alliance Settled rivalry over colonial issues Set a completely new direction for Anglo French relations  1907 – Britain and Russia reach agreement on Persia, Tibet, & Afghanistan  1907 – Triple Entente formed (B, F, & R)

 1914 Russian poster. The upper inscription reads "agreement".