World Wars

Causes and Effects

 Introduction
• Beginning 19th c most European states developed
industrially.
• Enjoyed relative peace

•Expansion and acquisition of colonies

• Rivalry begun to grow among different states- arms

race, economic competition

Int
 Causes of WWI – 1914-18
National rivalry
Desire for subjects to gain independence- Balkans
Desire of independent nations for dominance &
Germany:
1871- after Franc-Prussian war Germany became the
strongest country economically & politically in Europe

Spirit of Nationalism:
•

Extreme form of patriotism begun in Europe in 1800s

Supporters had trust in the nation & viewed foreigners &
minorities groups as inferior
Justified conquest of other lands & poor treatment of
minorities within borders
 Causes of WWI – 1914-18
Formation of Alliances:
• 1890 - Germany had dominated European diplomacy
– with good relations with Britain & Russia & isolated
France
• France was also determined to regain its territories-
Alsace & Lorraine by creating alliances with strong
power
• 1890- Kaiser Wilhelm II – dismissed Germany FP &
Reinsurance Treat with Russia
• Created new alliance (Dual)- German- Austria-
Hungary (support Austria in Balkans)
• Triple Alliance- German, Italy & Austria-Hungary
(Central Power)
• Treaty of Entente- Russia, France & Britain (Allies)
 Causes of WWI – 1914-18
• End of British Isolationism
• By end 19th c British had been involved in bitter
rivalries with French (africa & Middle East) & Russia
(Balkans)
• Boer war- Powers remained anti-British
• British made effort to build relation with Germany
but Kaiser’s interests could no match- Paul Kruger-
1896
• Germany interest in Middle East & Balkans worried
British as well as her economic progres
• Relationship worsened by German built of fleet &
competition over island nations
• 1904- Entente Cordiale (friendly understanding), -
French
 World War I: 1914-1918
 Fear of shifting balance of power
 Kaiser Wilhem feared that cousins would attack him
 Russia- Nicholas (communist) seeking to overthrow him
by supporting Serbs
 Colonial Rivalries:
 1900- European power had colonies in Africa
except Russia & Austria
 Rivalry- Tunis (Italy & France) & Morocco
(Germany & France)
 Morocco – rich in minerals- Kaiser Wilhelm III
 France & Britain- Sudan
 World War I: 1914-1918
 Economic Rivalries:
 Germany and Britain- Germany had begun to compete
with British industries- 1870
 Germany & France- after France lost Alsace & Lorraine
 German & Austria competing with Russia- Balkan
 Led to internationalization of tension

 Imperialism:
 When a country takes over another country & makes
them subject to their rule
 Rise of industrial revolution- need for more colonies
 World War I: 1914-1918
 Militarism:
 Military & army are given high profile by the
government
 Characteristic of the industrial powers at the time-
vital sign of power
 Increase terms of service
 Britain & Germany- Naval powers
 Britain (Dreadnought)
 Impact- Belief that war was coming
 Implications- raw materials, colonies, & new market or
goods
 Led to arms race
 Causes of WWI – 1914-18
Balkan crises:
• Originated from Russia & Austria-Hungary rivalry
over the region
• 1908- Dual Monarchy- annexed Bosnia &
Herzegovina
• Russia reponse minimal suffered in war with Japan-
1905
• 1912- 1st Balkan war- Greece, Bulgaria & Serb Vs.
Turks
• 1913- London Treaty (Italians & Austria) blocked
Serbia from using Adriatic by creating Albania
• Le to Balkan War II- Bulgaria Vs. Serbs
 Causes of WWI – 1914-18
Assassination Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand- June
1914
• Sarajevo, Bosnia- former colony of Austria-Hungary
(shot Serbia Nationalist- Black hand- Gavrilo Princip)
• Replace Francis Joseph
• Wanted to create Triple Monarchy- Austria-Hungary &
Serbia
• Austria declared war to Serbia
• Germany attacked Belgium before France did
Central powers- Bulgaria, Germany, Austria-Hungary
Allied Powers- Russia, Britain & France
Sea- Russia access through UK,
 Causes of WWI – 1914-18
Sea- Russia access through UK,
Land- Belgium through France
Sea- British plan to block US over sea to target
Germany would hurt US economy hence support Allies
1915- sinking of Lusitania
 Impact: World War I: 1914-
1918
 War lasted for 4yrs & 3 months
 Paris conference (1919)
 Rise communist state- Soviet
 Imposition of taxes to losers (Axis)
 New states- Latvia
 Treaty of Versailles (1919):
 Punishment for defeat
 German- lost their colonies in Africa
 Disarmament
 Rhineland occupied & could only have 10000
 Impact: World War I: 1914-
1918
 Economic burdens
 Loss of employment
 Economic damaged that caused Europe to be deeply in
debts
 Defeated powers were unable to pay reparation while the
winners were unable to pay their debts to US
 Created further peace time upheavals
 Creation of the League of Nations
 Political instability:
 Russia Vs. New states
 Clash of interests:
 Three powerful leaders
 Impact: World War I: 1914-
1918
 Emergence of Zionism:
 Jews return to Palestine- an areas that was conquered by
the Arabs- 1300
 New colonialism
 French (Syria & Lebanon), British (Iraq, Palestine)
 Causes of WWII – 1939 - 45
More destructive war, involved combatants &
non-combatants (distinction blurred)
Fought on all fronts

Failure of peace Efforts:

The League of Nations (1919) lacked in mechanism
of dealing with states
 Causes
 Great Depression of 1930s
 Desperation begun in –USA (black Thursday)
 Drop of stock prices
 The depression created economic problems that
weakened democratic govt & strengthened
extreme political movements
 Communism (Left) – revolution from workers
(1917)
 Fascism (Right) favoured strong national govt
 Europe marked by clash btwn Left & Right
 Political extreme gained most support in countries
with greatest economic problems & deepest
resentment of Peace of Paris
 Causes
 Nationalism
 Supported by discontent of Peace of Paris
 Germans felt humiliated by Treaty of Versailles
& 1930’s supported nationalism orgs. Nazi Party
(Strong again)
 Nationalism- Japan & Italy
 Causes
 Rise of dictators
 Result of political unrest & poor economic
conditions after WWI
 Japan, Germany, Italy & Soviet
 Ruled by force & regardless of the law, crushed
opposition to their rule, executed
 Causes
 Benito Mussolini in Italy
 Had joined WWI- to get land in Belgium
 Applied- nationalism & cult of leader
 Nation or state was supreme
 ‘Everything for the state, nothing from outside the
state, nothing against the state
 Mussolini- regained Italy position invaded Ethiopia
in 1936
 No opposition- communist, socialist
 Purity of the state- minority leave
 Use of secret police
 Pope Pius XI- signed treaty with Mussolini- created
state of Vatican city (1929)
 Head of church and pope

 Germany: Adolf Hitler

 Wrote The struggle- Mein Kampf

 Racism- Germans belonged to Master race-

Aryans also superior & gypsies, Jews & Slavs the
minority
 Hence there was need for racial purity
 Rise of Japan- Hideki Tojo
 Parliamentary govt dominated industrialist who
believed Japan must expand
 1931- attacked Manchuria (rich in resources), US &
Europe object to the aggression nothing more was
done
 1937 occupied eastern China & further sought to
control Eastern Asia
 Most countries (Central Powers) felt cheated &
dissatisfied by the Treaty of Versailles
 Italy gained less territories that it deserved & vowed
to take action
 Japan- gained German territories in the Pacific &
begun to expand
 Japan also refused to endorse principle of equality of
races
 Central powers – Germany, Austria, Hungary,
Bulgaria & Turkey were also dissatisfied with
Paris peace treaty
 Stripped of territories, arms & required to pay
reparation
 Treaty of Versailles that Germany signed forceful,

acknowledged having caused the war

 Cont’d……..
 Violation of Treaty of Versailles & German
aggression
 1935- Germany begun full-scale re-armament
 Invasion of France border (Rhine Valley)
 German (1938)- annexed Austria
 US- neutrality act could not get involved with
Germany
 Italy- 1935- invaded Ethiopia to creating an empire
 Allies response
 French- walls for protection
 Britain- Chamberlain- appeasement stop further
annexation
 Sept, 1938- annexed Czsech- (ethnic Germans)-
 Hitler’s aggression & creation of Third Reich
 1938- Hitler declared incorporation of Czech into
Germany (Third Reich)
 With support of Italy seized Albania
 1939- German invaded Poland

 Japan aggression in South East Asia

 Interest in oil & raw materials
 Axis (1940)- Japan, Germany & Italy- against
Communism
 1941- occupied France Indo-china
 US froze Japanese credits
 1941 (Dec 7)- Pearl Harbour –Hawaii Island
 Impacts
 Economic decline
 Refugees- UNRRA
 Death & destruction
 New diseases
 New weapons of war- Nuclear weapons- atomic
bombs
 Decline of Europe as a center of power & rise of
US
 Rise of world superpowers
 Divided the world in two blocks
 Creation of the United Nations
 Impacts
 Creation of the UN (1945)