Causes of World War One

A. Economic

• Imperialism at home and abroad - In one generation
• Africa - direct possession (1902: only Liberia, founded by former American slaves remains independent)
• Asia and Near East: economic and diplomatic pressure
• Economic concessions and extra-territorial privileges: Ottoman Empire - most vulnerable; China - most vulnerable; Japan - modernizing rapidly; India - firmly in British hands;
• Importance to Europe: keeps fat on European economy; colonial rule a reproach to democracy; encouraged feelings of national and racial superiority;
• "Pan" movements - a form of imperialism
• Technology and science: materialism

B. Social

• Human welfare: serfdom gone (except in Russia); surgery and anesthetics perfected; life span longer; Victorian middle class morality in decline; spread of literacy.
• Peace movements: "pipe dream of peace".
• Aristocratic remainders.
• Neglect of the proletariat.

C. Intellectual

1. European cultural heritage

2. Ideologies of progress:

• conservatism - delaying action not progress (aristocracy)
• liberalism - freedom, law, representative government (upper middle class)
• radicalism - remove class distinctions, anti-clerical (lower middle class)
• socialism - collectivist doctrine (city workers)
• new left - syndicalism

D. Political

1. the nation-state: language and race

2. parliamentary government

3. parties:

• tied to class and ideology
• lack of responsibility
• too many of them

4. Differing forms

• separation of powers only in the USA
• king or president a figurehead in Britain and France
• search for majorities in parliament
• Britain: the cabinet held the whip
• France and Italy: parliament held the whip

5. Extension of the suffrage

6. Exceptions to democratization

• Germany: only has external form of it, the Reichstag is a "debating chamber"
• Austria-Hungary: maintaining monarchy in polyglot confusion
• Russia: a struggle between Duma and Ministry

E. Military

1. popular militarism

• Boer War
• naval building race: Admiral Tirpitz - risk theory
• Three-year army law: France 1913
• Tripoli campaign in Italy, 1911

2. Comparative figures on army increase, 1870-1914:

                   1870         1914

Russia            700,000     1,300,000
France            380,000       846,000
Germany           403,000       812,000
Austria-Hungary   247,000       424,000
Britain           302,000       381,000
Italy             334,000       305,000
Japan              70,000       250,000
U.S.A.             37,000        98,000

3. military expenditure

• Germany and Russia had the largest budgets in 1914
• Britain and Germany spent most per capita:
• Germany $8.52
• Britain $8.53
• U.S.A. $0.32

F. Diplomatic

1. Alliance System

• 1870 - 1890: Bismarck in control
• 1890 - 1907: balance against Germany

2. Testing the system

• Russo-Japanese War, 1904-5
• First Morocco Crisis, 1905-6
• Bosnian Annexation Crisis, 1908
• Second Morocco Crisis, 1911
• Haldane Mission, 1912

3. Tensions in the Balkans

• Hapsburg Empire in turmoil
• South Slav Problem
• First Balkan War, 1912-13
• Second Balkan War, 1913