Prelude to World War I Competitive Nationalism Changing

Prelude to World War I

Competitive Nationalism Changing nature of nationalism – Not the liberal nationalism of 1848 – Not in support of free trade – Protectionism – Meant to silence socialism - reactionary – Imperial ambitions

Militarism • Commitment to War (jingoism) • War Plans - inflexible • Expansion of German Navy

Diplomatic Factors Alliance Systems Imperialism

Franco-German Hostility Bismarck’s Alliance system – protect position on Continent – target? – Three Emperor’s League (Austria-Hungary, Russia) – Dual Alliance (Austria-Hungary) – Triple Alliance (Austria-Hungary & Italy) France’s Alliance System – Response… Entente Cordial (Britain & France) Siberian Railway (French investment – in Russia)

Tensions Heightened – Post Bismarck: German Ambitions Germany wins right to Berlin to Baghdad railway 1 st & 2 nd Moroccan crisis Kaiser advocated Moroccan independence Algeciras Conference (1906) German gunboats sent to morocco (1911) Alliances counter German hostility… – Anglo-Russian Entente (settle Middle Eastern issues) – Triple Entente (Britain, France & Russia)

Ottoman’s Eastern Question The Balkan “wild card”

The Eastern Question Ottoman sultan watches as the emperor of Austria – Hungary annexes Bosnia. Herzegovina and the prince of Bulgaria is declared Czar

1900

The Balkans: Ripe for the picking… • Slavic Nationalism (Pan-Slavism) • Russian and Austria-Hungarian Ambitions • Internal Decay of Ottoman Empire (Young Turks) First Balkan Crisis 1908 (A-H annexation of Bosnia) Turkish-Italian War 1911 (Libya) First Balkan War 1912 (Serbs, Greeks & Bulgaria vs. Turks) Second Balkan War 1913

The July Crisis The Blank Cheque

1871

1914