Western Civ since 1650, Weeks 10 and 11 Lecture Notes
A) Imperialism and the Origins of World War One
Capitalism and
Imperialism
1)
The relationship between colonialism and imperialism/forms of imperialist
influence
a)
colonies
(political, economic, and cultural dominance, direct control of colonial power)
b)
protectorates
(political, economic, and cultural dominance, often with “shared” political
control)
c)
spheres of
influence (economic dominance, often with indirect political control)
d)
markets for
targeted investment
e)
“markets”
for cultural dominance (example--missionary activities)
2)
Contemporary arguments explaining imperialism
a)
national pride
b)
military-strategic
necessity
c)
social
Darwinism (combines elements of Darwin’s theory of evolution with theories of
racial superiority and justifications of social and political inequality)
d)
the
“missionary imperative” and the “White Man’s Burden” (Christian
duty/obligation of the “advanced, superior races” to “civilize” the
“child-like,” “savage” non-European peoples)
e)
Economic
imperialism (markets for surplus
goods, markets for surplus capital, way to generate “super-profits” to
“buy off” the domestic working class)
Specific
arguments:
i)
Hobson.
Imperial markets for goods and investments serve the class interests of
the domestic rich are against the national interest; imperialism can be ended by
establishing real domestic democracy
ii)
Conant.
International capitalism is weakened by a glut of surplus capital
(surplus savings, surplus capacity), which drives down the value of investments
and causes depression. Imperialism is a strategy to find markets for this surplus
capital and surplus production. The
US should promote free trade (not colonialization) so that it can gain access to
markets world wide (the “Open Door Policy”).
iii)
Lenin. The capitalists use markets abroad for goods and investments
to prevent depression (here his views are similar to Conant) and then they use
the “super-profits” from imperialism to “buy off” the highly-skilled
elements of the working class—this divides the workers and prevents
revolution. The solution to this,
Lenin said, was for a socialist revolution to overthrow capitalism and end
imperialism.
Imperialism in Practice
1.
Asia: example, the “spheres of
influence” in China
2. Latin America: example of the USA in Cuba (which also involves the USA in the Philippines).
3.
Africa:
Imperialism and the acceleration of great power tensions.
1. Germany as a late-comer to imperial expansion, but with economic and domestic (political) need for empire. By 1900, the German leadership was discussing the great need for a German colonial empire in Africa and in Asia.
2. German perception that it was being "shut out" of imperial expansion by the British and French.
3. German hopes that the British and French would turn against each other in the Sudan are dashed by a British-French agreement on Africa in the 1890s, and the new alliance system of England-France-Russia accentuates German fears of "encirclement."
4. Germany twice used the threat of war over Morocco (in 1905 and in 1911) in an effort to split the French-British alliance, but in both cases this failed. By 1912, the German government's inner-circle of leaders (the Emperor and his closest advisors) had decided that war was the only way that Germany could spread its power in Africa and break its "encirclement" at the hands of the British-French-Russian alliance.
Study Questions:
Be prepared to write a short essay that explains some of the economic, cultural, and political causes of imperialism and that suggests why imperialism was contributing to tensions between the great powers of Europe.
_______
B) World War One
I. Causes usually discussed by historians
failure of diplomacy; nationalism (esp. in the Balkans); the arms race; imperialist competition; social imperialism; the zeitgeist (the "spirit of the age"); bad decisions by national leaders
II. The breakdown of diplomacy
two alliance blocks in Europe by 1907: England-France-Russia vs Germany-Austria Hungary-Italy
tensions between Germany and the French-British over colonial expansion in Africa (see previous lecture)
tensions over the Balkans (decline of Ottoman Turkey's empire and ambitions of the Austrians--who in 1908 annexed Bosnia-Herzogovina--and the Russians; rising nationalism of the Serbians)
three wars in the Balkans in 1912-1913 involved Serbia and other Balkan states, Austria and Turkey, but Serbia's ally Russia did not directly participate
28 June 1914 assassination of Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo (Bosnia)
Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia declared that it would defend Serbia and began to mobilize, Germany prepared to mobilize to support Austria and declared war on Russia--this in turn drew France, England, then Italy and Turkey into the war. (Italy switched sides in 1916 and joined the British alliance; the US joined the war in 1917 on the British side)
III. Imperialism and social imperialism as causes
Frustration of German imperialist ambitions in Africa had led the German leadership to decide that it was willing to fight for wider empire
1912 meetings of Kaiser Wilhelm and his closest advisors (including Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg and industrialist Walter Rathenau) to discuss Germany's aims in the next war
German aims: German control over "middle Europe"; German colonization of Eastern Europe and Russia; German control over "middle Africa"; expanded German influence in Asia and the Middle East
Social imperialism--war as a way of preventing revolution in Germany (fear of rising Social Democratic opposition)
IV. The War
Enthusiasm for war in Fall 1914
Germany (and all other combatants) had planned on a quick victory
German advances stopped in France; trench warfare on the Western front
Initial German and Austrian victories on the Eastern front vs Russia, which was not prepared for the war; by late 1915, trench warfare on Eastern front
Ottomans enter war in late 1914; by late 1915, trench warfare on Southern front
New technologies for killing and the realities of trench warfare
1917--USA entered the war; rebellions in the French army; revolution in Russia and the near collapse of the Russian army; still no clear winner
Fall 1918--German military collapse, German military leadership lobbied for peace, vs. civilian officials (Rathenau) who wanted to continue fighting. Austria knocked out of war in early November.
9 November 1918--revolution in Berlin overthrew the Kaiser, who fled to Holland. Germany declared a Republic. New government signed an armistice on 11 November 1918. War over.
V. Domestic impacts of the war
Enormous economic and domestic dislocation (shortages, destruction, refugees, etc.)
Increased state intervention and planning in the economy to keep the war effort going (economic planning, state control over key industries, state-union-ownership cooperation in all major combatants, and esp. in Germany)
Shifts in gender roles and (in the USA) impact on race relations
Death toll (approx. 10 million dead)
Cultural shock at level of violence and death undermined faith in progress and weakened faith in democracy
VI. Revolutions
1917 Russian revolutions (Tsar overthrown in March 1917; weak provisional government; Lenin and Bolsheviks [Communists] seize power in November 1917 and held on to it to win a a 3-year Civil War [1918-1921]--see notes to next lecure)
1918 German revolution established a Republic, at first a Social Democratic-Liberal coalition
1918-1919, revolutions in Hungary and in Turkey
1919-1920, failed attempted Communist uprisings in Germany
VII. Break up of old empires
Austria-Hungarian, Russian, Ottoman empires all broken up into several new countries
VII. The Peace Process
US government's position (President Wilson)
Paris Peace Conference of 1919
Treaty of Versailles (1919): German war guilt; German territorial loses; German colonies lost; limits placed on German military; German required to pay reparations
Similar treaties for Austria and Turkey
Creation of the League of Nations
Study questions:
What combination of factors were causes of or contributed to the outbreak of World War One?
In want basic ways did the war effect life on the "home front" in the combatant states?