The Background to World War I

“To genetic evolution, the human lineage has added the parallel track of cultural evolution.”

-Edward Wilson

1800-1870: Britain as the superior industrial and colonial power

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Empress Dowager Cixi of China1835-1908Most powerful figure in late 19th century China

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Queen Victoria1837-1901Britain reached at its height of power“The Victorian Age”

Qing Dynasty:1644-1911

• Long age of peace and prosperity• By 1800, population was at 400 million• China was the richest country in the world

(about 1750) and its products flowed around the world– Tea– Silk– Ceramics

A common family Qing Dynasty

Qing Period Landscape Painting

“Summer”Qing Period

1757 - Tartar Envoyspresent their horses to Emperor QianlongQing Period

Cloisonne Ice ChestQing Period / 18th century

Qing PeriodGuanyin

Qing Period Vases

Coming of the West

• Late 1700s: Industrial Revolution in Britain and Adam Smith’s, The Wealth of Nations– Free markets over government intervention

• British began to market opium in China– Reversed the flow of silver

The Opium Trade

• War with Britain in 1839 to stop opium trade• Treaty of Nanjing 1849: open ports and

continued Opium trade– Ceded Hong Kong to Britain (until 1997)

– Foreign missionaries given legal protection to operate in China

• 1894-1895: Defeated militarily by Japanese

1870-1914: Germany and the US as the superior industrial powers

Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71Germany took the territories of Alsace-Lorraine, rich in iron ore and coal

Africa, 1914

The Moroccan Crisis

Britain supported France in making Morocco a protectorate in 1904

1905: As a counter-move, Germany recognized the sultan as independent and promised German protection against France

1906: Germany (supported by Austria) lost control of Morocco to France who was supported by Britain and the U.S.

Between 1911-1913, the German army grew from 515,000 members to 866,000 members.

From: The Geography of the Great War, Frank McMurray, PhD

From 1888 onwards, Germany began the Baghdad Railway which was to connect Berlin with the Persian Gulf

Kaiser William IIItalian Cartoon - 1915

Wartime Propaganda

1881: British occupation of Egypt

1830: French occupation of Algiers

1911: Italian occupation ofTunis and Tripoli

As Ottoman power declined, Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary were interested in the Balkans for their own purposes

Greece (1830)

Serbia (1878) Bosnia (1878)Montenegro (1878) Romania (1878) Bulgaria (1878)Herzegovina (1878)

Egypt under British (1882) Albania (1913)

Many subject territories of the Ottoman Empire gained independence:

Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia & Herzegovina on October 6, 1908Serbia dreamed of an independent Slavic State that included Bosnia, BUT

This meant that Serbia’s hopes of an independent state for its people was dashed. (A large Serbian population was living in Bosnia/Herzegovina.)

Russia was against Austria-Hungary’s actions because it supported its fellow Slavs (Serbia). If Russia attacked Austria-Hungary, however, it would have to fight Germany as well.

June 28, 1914Bosnia – Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife assassinated by a Serbian nationalist

Bosnia & Herzegovina had been annexedby Austria-Hungary in 1908

Austria-Hungary declared war against SerbiaJuly 28, 1914

Russia declared war against Austria-Hungary and Germany July 29, 1914

Germany declared war against Russia August 1, 1914

Germany declared war against France (ally of Russia) August 3, 1914

Germany invades neutral Belgium to try to win in France August 4, 1914

Britain declared war against Germany August 4, 1914

Ottomans declared war on Allies, sided with GermanyAugust, 1914

US declares neutralityAugust 18, 1914

US enters WWI (allied to Britain/France/Russia) April 6, 1917

Austrian Archduke assassinated on June 28, 1914

By Christmas, 1914, 400 miles of trench on the Western Front

Photo of soldiers in trenches lined with wooden planks

1914-1918. France. Postcards

Why did the US enter WWI?Was Germany the problem?

1915 – Germany sunk the British Passenger Liner Lusitania by GermanyKilled 128 Americans

1916 – German U-Boat submarine sunk the French ferry Sussex25 American casualties / President Woodrow Wilson issues warning to Germany

Check out: www.americaslibrary.gov/index.htmlAmerican Culture during the time of WWI: A web site posted by the US Library of Congress

January 19, 1917 – Germans introduced unrestricted submarine warfareBy March 21st, 7 American merchant ships had been sunk by Germany

President Woodrow WilsonAugust 7, 1916

April 6, 1917 – The US joins the war to fight with Britain, France and Russia. More than 2 million US soldiers fought in France.

Creator Penfield, Edward, 1866-1925 United States Food Administration United States Committee on Public Information

November 11, 1918 Germany formally surrendered / All nations agreed to work out a peace treaty

1869: Suez Canal restored Middle East to its former importance as crossroads of Eurasia

1914: Panama Canal strengthened military posture of the US

Definition for Kaiser:The monarch who appoints the ChancellorHe is not elected, but inherits his office and claims it as his divine right.He is not responsible to the people.

Definition for the Chancellor:Appoints members of the cabinet such as Minister of the Interior,Minister of Education, etc. Cabinet Ministers are responsible to the kaiser only and not the people.Otto von Bismarck ruled as Chancellor from 1862-1890.