A QUICK REVIEW: The Age of Imperialism and the Progressive Era 1890-1916 US response to the Turner Thesis: – US sought new “frontiers” in Asia and achieved.

A QUICK REVIEW:The Age of Imperialism and the Progressive Era

1890-1916

• US response to the Turner Thesis:

– US sought new “frontiers” in Asia and achieved the goal of gaining spheres of influence in China.

– US status, prestige, respect, wealth and power increased during this era.– Domestically, the challenges of the Gilded Age were addressed by the

Progressive reform movement.– Progressive reform had transformed America politically, economically,

culturally and socially.– Progressives ended “laissez-faire” capitalism.– Presidents McKinley, Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson each contributed greatly to

the dramatic changes that the US experienced during this time period.

WHAT DIRECTION WILL THE US TAKE IN THE COMING YEARS?

- Remember this? - The US abandoned its time honored policy of isolationism and became an imperialist nation:

• 1850s-US sought commercial agreements with China and Japan.• 1861-1865 - US Civil War• 1867-US acquired Alaska, claimed Virgin and Samoan Islands• 1898-US waged and won war against Spain• 1899-US gained Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and Philippines after war with Spain• 1900-US created Open Door Policy for all nations to recognize in China• 1904-US, under Roosevelt, enforced Monroe Doctrine with the “big stick policy”,

became a mediator in crises between different nations and intervened in the affairs of nations in the Western Hemisphere many times

• 1904-US gained the rights and the opportunity to build and control the Panama Canal

• By 1909-US became an “empire”, extended its influence around the world, competed with (and was respected by) the major European powers of the era

• Mostly under Roosevelt’s leadership US prestige, power, status, wealth and respect grew dramatically between 1850 and 1909…

• Taft and Wilson: what was the direction of US diplomacy under these men?

In the event of an international conflict, predict what role the United States would play under these presidents.

President Theodore Roosevelt: 1901 to 1909

“Big Stick Policy”Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

Mediator in Asian and European conflicts“Never exercise restraint in international affairs”

Nations must play by the rules that are established by the USA

• President William H. Taft: 1909-1913

• “Dollar Diplomacy”:– Foreign policy centered around

American investment in foreign nations.

• This would increase commercial opportunities for US.

• This would counterbalance other nations financial power in the world.

• US “economic imperialism” in Asia and Western Hemisphere.

• President Woodrow Wilson: 1913-1920

• “Moral Diplomacy”: – Our foreign policy should conform to our

democratic principles and remain neutral in affairs that have no impact on the US.

• “watchful waiting”• US should:

– help foster the development of constitutional liberty in the world,

– advance human rights,– create opportunity – promote justice.

• This would restore our prestige around the world and would be true to our own traditions.

Contemporary Map of Europe

Political Map of Europe -1914

Ethno-linguistic Map of Europe - 1914

• Compare the POLITICAL MAP of Europe with the ETHNOLIGUISTIC MAP of Europe in 1914.

• RECOGNITION: Identify any potential conflicts that could arise due to the fact that there were so many different ethnic/linguistic/cultural groups in Europe and so few nations?

• PERSPECTIVE: Try to predict what the US response to these potential conflicts would be under (1) TR, (2) Taft and (3) Wilson.

On 28 June 1914, a localized event will evolve into a European war, and, eventually, a GLOBAL WAR. How did this “Great War” happen?

The Ingredients for War:

• Conflicting interests of imperialist European powers; most of which are ruled by autocratic MONARCHS

• Civil unrest within major European powers – DEMOCRACY vs. MONARCHISM– MARXISM vs. MONARCHISM– Ethnic groups vs. Empire– Imperialism and Monarchism are major contributors to this war

• Industrialization (mass production)• Arms Race (modern weaponry)• Militarism (armies and strategies)• Ultra-Nationalism and propaganda• The Alliance system• Pre-existing conflicts between European powers • Overall INSTABILITY in Europe

• When all ingredients are mixed, all that’s needed is a “SPARK” to ignite a war.

Relations between these powers all contributed to the conflict.

The Major Powers of Europe:

1. British Empire (United Kingdom)2. German Realm (Germany)3. Empire of Russia4. Republic of France5. Empire of Austria-Hungary

Ottoman Empire Republic of Serbia

The King, the Kaiser and the Czar• They were first cousins and grandchildren of Queen Victoria of England.

– Queen Victoria's son Edward VII was King George V's father, making him Victoria’s grandson.

– Queen Victoria's daughter Victoria, was Kaiser Wilhelm's mother, making him Victoria’s grandson.

• Queen Victoria's daughter Alice was the mother of Alexandra, wife of Czar Nicolas II, making him “related” by marriage. – Nicholas II, himself, was not a descendant of Queen Victoria, however both of

them (Nicholas II and Queen Victoria) were several generations descended from King George II of England, which made him a distant cousin of George and Wilhelm.

• Kaiser Wilhelm & Czar Nicholas had common ancestor in Paul I of Russia. • Additionally, George V of England and Czar Nicholas II of Russia were first cousins

through their mothers. George's mother, Alexandra of Denmark, and Nicholas' mother, Dagmar of Denmark, were sisters.

Empire of Austria-Hungary• A volatile, diverse European empire that

included many different ethnic and religious groups:

– Austrian, Slovak, Romanian, Croat, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Albanian, Czech, Serb, Bosnian Serbs, Slovene, Greek

– Roman Catholic, Muslim, Eastern Orthodox Christian, Jewish

• Ruled by King Franz Josef – (no relation to the other guys)

• His nephew, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary.

• He supported the “Triple Monarchy” idea; this would add Serbia to Austria-Hungary and would give Serbia some autonomy.

• 7,800,000 men in army

Republic of France• President Raymond

Poincare led the French democracy.

• Retained one of Europe ’s largest militaries, but it was underfunded and lacked modern weapons.

• Its greatest enemy was Germany (Franco-Prussian War of 1870)

• French Empire was losing its lustre and status by 1913

• Vulnerable, but allied with Russia since 1894 and Britain since 1904

• 8,400,000 men in army

Ottoman-Turk Empire

• Ruler Sultan Mohammed V, a Muslim Turk.• Empire stretched from the Middle East/Arabian peninsula, through

Turkey and into Southeastern Europe• Empire was in its decline• Muslim influence of the Ottoman Empire spread into Southeastern

Europe which added to the religious differences of the region• Like Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire was ethnically and

religiously diverse.• 2.9 million men in army

Kingdom of Serbia – King Peter 1• A constitutional monarchy

• Serbs culturally linked to Russia – both are Slavic

• The Pan-Slav Movement:– Serbians led a movement across the

Slavic region of Europe that was designed to unite the Slavic people of the region

• The Serbian vision: A Slavic Empire – South Slavia or Yugoslavia

• Bosnia (ethnic Slavs): Fully absorbed into Austria-Hungary (Germanic) in 1913– Croats, Slovenes, and Bosnian Serbs

live in Bosnia (all are Slavic)– Sought assimilation into Serbia– Its obstacle in building a greater Slavic

nation (South Slavia): Austria-Hungary

• The Black Hand - Nationalist group that sought to encourage Austria-Hungary to liberate ethnic Slavs living in A-H

• Widespread Slavic unrest in the region attributed to Serbia ’s quest for a Slavic empire

European Unrest• Democracy vs. Monarchy (New vs. Old)• Marxism vs. Monarchy (New vs. Old)• Imperialism = increased wealth/prestige = MILITARY growth• “Nationalism” within each European nation• Ethnic minorities within empires = CIVIL WAR• Ethnic minorities supported by nations other than the nation they lived

in. – ex. Slavs in AH sought support from Russia

• Ancient alliances – Ancient enemies• Lack of perspective…• Alsace-Lorraine: 2 French provinces lost to Germany after the

Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Unresolved conflict between the two.

• Poland: Ethnic Polish people without a nation; live in parts of 3 different nations; desire autonomy.

• AUSTRIA-HUNGARY vs. ETHNIC SLAVS– ethnic and religious diversity made A-H very unstable.

• Alliances, combined with “the cousins”, created an uncertain situation between the most powerful nations of Europe.

Militarism

• Franco-Prussian War of 1870

• Before 1900, Germany & France had created strategies to invade each other• Germany: Schlieffen Plan• France: Plan 17

• Armies were huge, well trained and supplied with modern weaponry. • Except for France, of course.• UK and Germany in competition to have the largest, most powerful navy• Nations that are prepared for war and usually go to war..

THE ALLIANCE SYSTEM:An ominous rivalry for naval and military superiority, for colonies and for spheres of influence outside of Europe drove the leading powers into 2 antagonistic alliances. A

third alliance developed for reasons of security from the other two:

• The Triple Alliance-1882– Italy, Germany, Austria-Hungary– Known as “The Central Powers”– Italy will leave in 1914– Ottoman Empire will join in 1914

• The Triple Entente-1904– France, Russia and Britain– Known as “The Allies”– Italy will join in 1915

• The Balkan League-1911– Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro.– Goals: (1) protection from Ottoman and A-H Empires and (2) create a larger nation

of South Slavia (Yugoslavia)– This is an alliance of mostly SLAVIC peoples; Russians are also Slavic

Pre-exisitig Conflicts:• 1870 - Franco-Prussian War

• 1912-1913 - The Balkan Wars:

– A-H/Ottomans vs. ethnic Slavs, A-H annexed Bosnia in 1913, while Ottomans moved further into southeastern Europe by taking Bulgaria. Bosnia had a significant Serbian population. Bulgarians and Bosnians are Slavic.

• Pan-Slav Movement

• The Black Hand

• The Bottom Line

– Serbians/Slavs hated Austria-Hungary, French and Germans hated each other, Russians supported the Pan-Slav movement, Serbia promoted a greater Slavic nation out of Ottoman and A-H lands, Germans and Austrians were ethnically/culturally the same, Russia and France were allies and Ottomans did not trust Russia. Plus the Czar, the Kaiser and King George were first cousins which intensified the situation.

Into the Abyss…

• June 28, 1914:– Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to

the throne of Austria-Hungary…– by Gavrilo Princip, a Serb member of the Black Hand– In Sarajevo, part of Austria-Hungary and former

capital of Bosnia

• Even though Serbia was not directly responsible for the assassinaiton of the Arch-Duke…– Conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary was

intense

• How does this evolve into such a devastating global war?