Why did war break out in Euro pe in

1914 1 ~
. al and colon ial rivalries led t o
·e nat1on
1
From the end of the 19"' What econorn ' tries and encouraged an arrns
.
b t een coun rival alliances? Wh at rnteres ta
ts ~
first decad e of the 20"' centu ~, and especially during the .
conflicts e w
century, rncreased tensions between led t
the major Eu and the creation of two
ropean powers Ied t O a period of 'armed peace' 7
fwar · ª
t hat eventuall the outbreak o
Y result ed in the First World w,ar.
~-- -= -e: -~~ ~-_ __ ,.., ...- ..,, --~ -= --- ---
A COLONIAL CONFLICTS
The Moroccan crises
The Berlin Conference (1885) had
In l905, the German Empire offered to
tried to establish rules for the
help Morocco against Franc~, who walltect
colonisation of the African continent by
to establish a protectorate in the region.
European empires. However, the rise of
The Algeciras Conference (1906), which
powers such as the Gennan Empire, one
authorised a Franco-Spanish protectorate
of the last to join the colonial roce, '
torced the Germans to back down.
reopened confficts between European
countries. In 1911, because of an uprising in
th southern Morocco, the Germans sent
At the beginning of the 20 century, gunboats to the port of Agadir under the
Morocco was the main scene of pretext of protec ting German trade
international tension, as European interests. France had Great Britain's
powers competed to control it. The support, but ceded Kamerun (present-day
possibility of war was constantly present. Cameroon) to the Germans.
(E ~ What caused more tension after
the Berlin Conference? 1. How did the Germans benef it from the
uprising in 1911?
The Gennans threaten the French in Morocco
while the British support them, 1908.
- - - - - -- - -
/
8 RIVALRY BETWEEN POWERS AND NATIONALISM ALSACE-LORRAINE

alistic in arder LUXEMBOURG GER MAM Y

Europ ean powe rs also became increasingly nation
empires. The
to defen d their interests in Europe and their colonial
general climate
i promo tion of nation al identi ty and values caused a
; of mistrust.
1
and wonted
Sorne Europ ean peopl es had nationalist aspirations
1
1
• others defended their status as
to becom e indep enden t states, while
1
1 111
1
u
1
great traditional empires. %
'
1
<
it had been for
The Balkans, still ruled by the Ottom an Empire as
1
:
¡ centuries, was the centre of heightened internotiono
l tension.

:' The Germ en Empir e annex ed the French region of

Alsace-
was
:' l.orraine follow ing its victor y in the Franco-Prussian wor. There
: also strong rivalry betwe en the British and German
Empires over
econo mic contro l of Europ e and its trade routes .
,
• (I]J]) territory
ceded by
'' [b1 What cause d nation alistic aspirations in Europe? France to Germany
'
1
rivals?
Franco-German border
O 1.c.L
; ~ Who were the Germ an Empir e's main - from 1871 to 1919

-------------
NEW V O C A B U L A R Y . - - - - -
back down: retire from o position mistrust: íeor; doubt
outbreak: sudden occurrence

136 Unit 1
 rttE eALKAN WARS
e E . .
Qttoman mpire was m a state of e 11
As the . o apse the A t H
' " 1 nning to gam power over the Balkans H , us ro- ungarian Empire
' spa h . . fl . owever Se b· d
: wCl d10 increase t eir m uence there and t
' nte h' h Id ,
' r
o occupy the B h
'ªan Russia also
: wCl d elles straits, w 1c wou give them co tr I osp orus and
: oor an . . n °
over the Mediterranean Sea
: Th annexahon of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Au tr· H ·
:1 _e in the Balkans, which would result in ths Ba'ª· ._ ungary 11908) increased
ns1ons e 1Kan Wa · 1912
¡ te bia allied with Russia and emerged as the victor As ~m and 1913.
: ser ·,ng stronger, Austria-Hungary fearing a · I Serbia was clearly
, beCºmtrol looked to the Germans for' support genera Slav upnsmg ·· h'I
w I e under .....
:
' its con ' .
tllustration of Russia and Austria-Hungary
¡ (d What led to the Balkan Wars? flghting over the Batkans, with the
powerless Ottoman Empire looking on.
DMILITARY ALLIANCES AND THE ARMS RACE
, The Greot Pow~rs divided !nto two opposing
¡ military alliances m preparahon for a possible EUROPEAN SYSTEMS OF ALLIANCE
¡ confrontation.
~ 190'l
i In 1882, the German Empire signed an
: agreem~nt with_ Austria-Hungary and ltaly, known
: as the Tnple Alliance.
1
Wa GERMA:

: france, fearing the Germans' military strength ~ 02- i----19091- - ,

and exponsion, allied with Russia and improved its _J member of the Tñpl; Alliance ...:;milituy agreement5 (with dates)
relations with Britain, which had deteriorated due to • member of the Tñple Entente -other agreement5 (with dates)
colonial disputes. In 1907, these three powers
signed a mutual cid pact, the Triple Entente.
THE ARMS RACE
The mistrust between the Great Powers also marks (in billions)
caused on anns race. The countries spent vast
amounts of money on manufacturing new weapons, i:~:~ - 1905 • 1914)::::::::::::::::::::::::::··..·..·::::::::::::::::;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
2.5 · .......................................................... .. .............~ ..............................
building worships, and strengthening their armies. 2.0 ............;g .............. ,.,,.......................... ........................
They oll prepared themselves for war, which could ~
1.5 :::::~:: .. .............. ~ .
1.0
: :::::::l
be storted by any future conffict. 0.5 ...
1 1
o
: The ossossination of the Austrian Archduke Franz
¡ Ferdinond in 1914 triggered the First World War,
: but the true causes of war had been developing for
: decades. ~ What were the two opposing military alliances called?

@Find out more...

ACTIVITIES
The causes of World War t: www.tiching.com/743332
2. ~ • Put the following events in order and create a timeline
on the causes of the First World War:
annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary -
fil!.[K REVISION assassination of Franz Ferdinand - Balkan wars - Moroccan
crises - Triple Alliance - Triple Entente
• Nationalism and imperialism caused tension between
European countries in the late 19th and early 20th . 3. ~ • Why do people say the First World War was inevitable?
centuries, which escalated into World War I in 1914.

The First World War and the Russlan Revolution 131

The Phases of the war ~ l•r. ~. ;.· "~
(J
.•i~ ~ aiMiiMi'I.
The outbreak uf war .
'\
,_,,.
·-.._;._:: . ,f;e~. . . '
,,,i~-~i ' .i
' +;- 1 .-, •
to the Austro-Hungarian
On 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand heir
•,, I;

the capital of Bosnia, wh_ich 1

Empire, was assassinated in Sarajevo'.
' ¡• ~

since 1908. The assassin

had been occupied by Austria-Hungary
Serbian nationali5t l. .~, ,·•
i"<.· r.. .·•'·, .. .
__,
was a Bosnian student who had links with 4 .~, ·,; . =-- ~f .
s.
•
1-¡~{ s ~. . ~
organisation ~¡r¡; ~ 1

th
y, accused Serbia of e
Aus~ria-~ungary, encouraged by German ¡
. Russia declared war on
assas~ination and declared war on 28 July
Germany declared war on
Au st~1a-Hungary to protect Serbia, and ,, \l
d war on Germany and
Russia and France. Great Britain declare
y invaded Belgium.
Austria-Hungary after the German arm
tation between
Only ltaly remained neutral. The confron war. THE EXPANSION OF THE CONFLICT
ia had bec ome a Euro pea n
Austria-Hungary and Serb
assassinalion
First World War? 28 June
a ~ What was the concrete cause of the 1914
in Sarajevo

Austro-Hungaria~ ..-- -... ..._

23 July ultimatum to Serbia
The war of movement Austria-Hungary. Serbia
(28 July)
n the German army 30 July Russfan
mobillsatlon
The war began on the Western Front whe
and Luxembourg
suddenly attacked France through Belgium German Germany • Russia
ed to win quickly so it
(the Schlieffen Pl~n). The Germans hop 31 July ultimatumto
Russia and France
(1 Augusl)
Eastern Front.
would be able to then concentrate on the
Germany - France
Germans were
By the beginning of September 1914, the (3 Augusl)
British arm ies
40 km from Paris. However, the French and beginning
stopped the advance at the Battle of the
On the Eastern Front, Germany beat Russ
Marne.
ia at the Battle of
of
AuguSI r invasion of
Belgium
r
_
Great Britain - Germany
(4 Augusl)

Germany - Serbia
Tannenberg, but the Russ ians recovere
d and reached the (5 August)
In the Balkans, Serbia
border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
stopped Austria-Hungary's advance. • war (!he country that declares war appears
first)
early stages
b What happened on the Western Front in the
of the war?

Trench warfare
tern Front became
After the Battle of the Mame, the Wes
tzerland to the North Sea.
immobile. Trenches were built from Swi
this phase resulted in ► Thousands of
Even the smallest advances made during
both the Central Powers soldiers lived
enormous casualties. From that point on, in trenches for
ement) and the Allied
(allies based on the Triple Alliance agre months, in
Powers (allies based on the Triple
Entente agreement) had to find
terrible
new allies who could prov ide mor
e soldiers . condicions.
in late 1914, followed by
The Ottoman Empire entered the war
in 1916. The Germans
ltaly and Bulgaria in 1915 and Romania
Front in 1916 but were NEW VOCABULARY._ _ _ ___ ,
launched a new offensive on the Western
Verdun. The French and
stopped by the French at the Battle of casualty: person killed or injured in wor or
an
at the Battle of the Somme.
British then attacked the German lines accident
ite enormous casualties on
Both offensives achieved very little desp withdraw: retire; leove
becouse
both sides. surrender: stop fighting or give up control
allies? you are losing
JJ Why did both sides need to look for new

138 Unit 1
 oPMENT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
oEvEL
f~E
~~ r ~ Central Powers in 1914 @ Find out more...
Find out more about the Battle
of the Somme at:
www.tiching.com/?43442
11 country aligned wijh the
\._..J Triple Entente
....... trenches
~ territories conquered by
~ !he Central Powers
......•.. naval blockade on
Germany (1916)
O submarine war zone
~ main battles
......... !he Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
line

From the North Sea to Switzerland,

thousand of kilometres of trenches
; t e r r were dug. From these, opposing_
-~~
armies fought each other ata h1gh
'i"
.s. ¡
human cost: 1 million casualties
among the allied forces and
800000 among the German.

1,u: the last phases of the war The US joins the conflict
1917 was a decisive year for the war. On the one hand, the With a profound sense of the solemn and even tragic ,
terrible conditions of trench warfare caused many soldiers to character of the step I am taking and of the grave
abandon their duties and many revolts took place on the front. responsibilities which it involves, but in unhesitating
On the other, Russia signed the Brest-litovsk Treaty with obedience to what I deem my constitutional duty, I
Gerrnany (1918) after the Bolshevik Revolution and withdrew advise that the Congress declare the recent course of
fromthe war. the Imperial German Government to be in fact
nothing less than war against the Govemment and
The United States joined the war in 1917 for various reasons,
people of the United States; that it formally accept
but mainly as a consequence of the sinking of the US ocean liner, the status of belligerent (... ).
the Lusitania, in 1915 by Germany. The United States joined.
President Wilsons War Message to Congress,
Although the war was already being fought in the colonies of the
2 April 1917 (adapted).
European ernpires, the intervention of the United States made ita
truly global conflict.
In 1918, the Allies defeated Austria-Hungary on the Eastern
Front, and the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires
surrendered and called for an armistice. The Germans were
defeated on the Western Front at the Second Battle of the
Marne. There were revolts in the German army and navy as well ACTIVITIES
asworkers' dernonstrations against the government. As a result,
the Kaiser abdicated and Germany surrendered. An armistice l. ~ • Put the following events in chronological
was signed on 11 November 1918, bringing the war to an end. arder: the armistice - Battle of the Mame -
Battle of the Somme - Battle of Verdun -
raJWhy did Gerrnany surrender?
Germany invades Belgium - the Ottoman Empire
enters the war - Russia withdraws - Second
~REVISION Battle of Mame - the US joins the war.
' Throughout most of the First World War there were large numbers of 2. ri What do we mean by 'trench warfare'? What
casuªl'ti
1
es without any real success on the Western Front. were its consequences?

The First World War and_the Russian Revolution 139

Asoldier's lite on the tront (f6 n were recruited and sent to tL
f
nds o Y oung f' ures of the war. Th e1r.
rne •1e
.,
Thousa he keY ig .
The other face of the First World War, behind the battles TheY were t h 5 were terrible and left its rn
front. . the trenc e ar~
fought, the countries involved and the statistics of • nces in
expene . eneration.
casualties published, was trench warfare. For many, this on an ent1re g
was a daily reality that meant nothing but suffering and
ut more...
destruction. @Find O boUt wor
ld War I at: www.tiching.comn 4345~
'
find out rnore a

A HUMAN SUFFERING
Dirt and hunger
• Significan! technological advancements of the 19"' century, . h e acquired a strange appearance in
particularly those of the Second Industrial Revolution, meant h old1ers av d d' h
T e s . of all this mud. Mud an irt ave covered
' that more powerful and destructiva weopons could be the m1d~le , "'orms making them almost
old1ers uni', ,
manufoctured and used in the war. the s . bl Their dothes and faces are caked With
recognisa e. d
un . t users capes, faces an arms are covered
d Their ro , d .
~U · ) Only their rifles are protecte with a
ARTILLERY, BOMBS ANO GAS in mud. (... nable to distinguish whether the
Powerful cannons were manufactured alongside machine guns, loth We are u G
e · me across are French or erman.
and the first tanks and fighter planes appeared. Poisonous gas corpses we co .
was also used, which spread terror among the soldiers. The use Newspaper article, April 191s.
of new weapons led to a greater number of casualties than in austed and cannot continue. There is no
previous wars. They are exh . h
b t they do not complarn. T ey know that
coffee, u . h' . bl l
suffering is all there is rn t is ~1sera e wor d. They
The amount of shells is incredible, 80 000 shells in just a few eat their cold beef broth and vrnegar-soaked
hours, over an area of 1000 metres wide by 400 metres long.
potatoes in silence. They try to shelter from the wet
We ask ourselves if any human beings have fought and
and mud, but their hands are frozen and the bread
survived a similar hell, in which no space remains unaffected
by heavy artillery bombardment. they eat is hard.
M. PAISOT: Diary of War, 1916. Asoldier's diary, 1917.

Battle of Verdun [!J What types of weapons were used in the war?
• 300-day battle
• 3200 German cannons Caring for the wounded
• 270 French cannons
• 30 million shells (4 tons of bombs per m2) 1
The new weapons used in the war caused both
• 163 000 French casualties deaths and other kinds of casualties, especially from
• 143 000 German casualties shrapnel and bullets. Hospital tents were set up
where doctors and nurses treates the wounded.
The first few moments with a gas mask on are vitally The Red Cross operated in the war by caring for the
important, because it is when you find out whether you are wounded and prisoners from both sides.
going to live or die: the main thing is to make sure that the
mask is airtight, and not broken. (...)
E. M. REMARQUE: Ali Quiet on the Western Front, 1929.

► Otto D1x: Stormtroopers Advancing

Under Gas, 1924.The only way to
survive poisonous gas was by
Nurses in the ◄
wearing a gas mask.
First World War.

140 Unit 1
 ,__,,

TRENCH IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

--
,:ífLE
~81'
..iillll

R
•Y r-·
/·. .--
rvation \
lloonJ poisonous
gas
I

B UFE IN THE TRENCHES: RESIST AND ATTACK

@ Find out more...
The doily routine of the soldiers involved resisting
Find out about life in the trenches at: www.tiching.com/743456
enemy fire, while barricaded in trenches behind a
network of wire fencing and ditches.
' There were offensives on a regular basis, when
soldiers had to leave the trenches and advance across
QUICK REVISION
1he bottlefield , completely exposed to enemy fire.
1 • New weapons were introduced in the First World War, which
: lb_ How did soldiers try to stop enemy troops? resulted in greater casualties.
1
• The First World War was fought in trenches in terrible conditions.
'
: An attack outside the trenches
1

The slope of the tren ch is covered by men (...). We cross

the wire openings. Severa[ bullets arrive at last among us. ACTIVITIES
Abruptly, across the opposite slope, (... ) flames strike the
air with terrible sound. Fires emerge from the sky and 1. ri.,a Listen to a news report on the Battle of Verdun.
explosions fromthe ground. It is a frightful curtain, from What do the following numbers refer to: 21 - 150000 -
the world, which divides us from the past and from the 15000 - 15 - 9?
future. We stop, fixed to the ground.
2. ~ What weapons can you see in the picture? What
H. BARBUSSE: Underfire, 1916. defensive elements are there? Why were gas masks
important?

NEW VOC ABU LAR Y--- ----- --,

3. e@Use the tiching links and the information on
COrpse: dead body these pages to write a diary entry of a day in the life of
shropnel: fragments from an exploded shell a soldier in the trenches. Describe the conditions, food,
bullet: metal projectile used in a gun your feelings, the other soldiers, etc.

The First World War and the Russian Revolution 141

A total war ~
The war of 1914-191
society and • I 8 had such a profound impact on European
the Great Wtnvo v~d so many countries and people that it was called
of conflict ar., lt ts consid ere d to b e the first example o f a new type
• a total war' ·t
weapon d • as I was unrestricted in terms of the
s use • and the territory and people involved.

Tbe involvement of the civilian population

A new type of nat· 1 19th
•ona army emerged as a consequence of the
century revolutions lnst d f •
• ea o using mercenaries or volunteers,

th
1
cofmhpu sory enlistment (conscription) meant the involvement of most
0
t e male civilian po 1 •
ff f .
...
1916 recruitment poster.
pu at,on o army-recruitment age. In th1s way,
ek war ª.ected the entire population as husbands and sons had to
ta e part tn the war.
The contribution of the colonies
In 1914 the a · b
• rmtes were a le to advance with greater speed and Colonial troops and volunteers took part on
cover more territory using trains and motor vehicles. This caused an both sides. Moreover, the colonies provided
exodus of million f · ·1·
. s o c1v1 1ans _e_ •
rrom Belgium, northern France, Pruss1a, economic aid to Europe's devastated
s
Rus ia and Serbia, who feared looting, destruction and retaliation. This economies. The mobilisation of the colonial
~as to be one of the first great refugee movements triggered by war empires took the conflict to other continents:
tn the modem period. Africa (conflicts in Togo
and Cameroon), British
The war required the mass production of munitions and provisions. territories in the Middle
Fot this reason, women and men who were not eligible for enlistment East and Asia (conflicts
~ere recruited to work in factories, and working hours were between China and
tncreased.
Japan).
The war was the priority, and this slowed down the production of
food and basic consumer goods. By the beginning of the 20th century,
a large part of the population was already living in the cities with less
access to food than the countryside, and hunger became common. 191 7 poster depicting ◄
colonial troops.
'"a ~ Why is the First World War referred to as the Great War?

Propa1anda and opinion control

For the first time, modern marketing ► American poster used
techniques were used to create propaganda to recruit soldiers far
for the war, with the aim of keeping up public the war.
morale as well as supporting the war effort.
This propaganda generated feelings of
patriotism as well as hatred towards the
enemy and was a way of engaging the entire US version of an
population in the conflict.
Newspapers and the letters sent from
1 oü
FOR U.S.ARMY
earlier British
poster asking
civilians to enlist in
◄

soldiers to their families were censored in NIIUES'I' •aatum• STAnGN arder to help
order to avoid public dissent , and pacifists or Belgium, which was
anti-war socialists were arrested and silenced. in German hands.

[ii: What role did new propaganda methods play in the war? 1. ~ Compare the propaganda posters on these pages.
Discuss what they represent and aim to achieve. Which do
@ Find out more... you think is the most effective and why? Use the key
Find out about rationing and food shortages during language appendix on page XIV to help you.
the war at: www.tiching.com/742242

142 Unit 1
 . EECONOMY AT THE MERCY OF THE WAR
TH
overnments of the countries at war estª61.ished war
J\nM LA F11A11C:'E
VD.S il VOTR I. 01\.
• ¡ French 'Pour out
rhe G·es with heavy state •mtervention Mu 't• . ► your gold' poster,
rru · n, 1ons 1ndust ·
ec
00 0
ork to their full potential. The female popu 1at1on • nes
and
¡ appealing to the
d to w• ted males were forced to work in fact . populacion to help
na 15 ones and any finance the war.
on-en 1 consid ered t
n 1 i
·nts or poor perfo rmanc e were reason.
0 rnp a
e ..,ar had to be paid for and, as a result, gov
rhe ,. ernments got
t and had to ask for loans. The allies were f' d
·nto deb h . manee
1 . ularly by the US, t e nchest power that rema·,ned M ~1
~e
until 1917.
. d
~'- What actions were carried out to meet the h'igh econom1c an t:OrCombat PourLa\\do~
e rAJ
iabour demands of the war? ·~·--_--...:.-- -- --

THE WAR EFFORT -

Iron
Countries Soldiers Casualties production

719000 64 69000 00
Great Britain
3500000 28 43000 00
France
4400000 16 44000 00
Russia
German Empire 8500000 40 17000 000

Austria-Hungary 3000000 16 27000 00

Ottoman Empire 350000 no data no data

.,
Women workers in a munitions factory.

WOMEN AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

The war gave women a new role in society, as they began
working in munitions factories, hospitals and transport as well
as in many other jobs. At the end of the war, women represented
35% of industrial labour in Germany and Great Britain.
Despite having the same skills as men, women did not have the
same rights. This resulted in the appearance of the suffragette
movement (calling for the female vote).
....
[d! What changes in society did women experience during A demonstration during the First World War in 1918,
the war? requesting the right for women to vote in the United States.

9!!!,CK REVISION
• The First World War was a 'total wa( that demanded the total
mobilisation of all the nation's resources for a common cause.
• Anew type of army emerged and war propaganda was used for the
ñrst time. ACTIVITIES
2. e 8 Imagine you are a woman during the First
NEW VO CA BU LA RY .~- ---- ---- 7 World War. How do you feel about the changes in
k~ up: rnaintain morale: level of happiness omong o populotion a woman's role? Write a short description.
d1ssen1:• d'ffe f
1 rence o opinion

The First World War and the Russlan Revolution 143

Eutope a,t the end of the war ~
CASUALTIES OF THE FIRST WORLD WA~
An etonomit an d demo1raphic disaster
The War caused th d number of men (in millions)
responsibl f e eaths of around ten million soldiers and was 12 ···········································
and d" ª
e or large number of civilian casualties dueto malnutrition
1sease This h. h d h f · · · ··· · •" ' '' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' . ··· ·········
birth d . · '9 eat toll, together with the low number o 10
s unng the war, caused widespread demographic decline. 8 ' ··············
From an economi · f . ·······
e pomt o v1ew, the First World War meant the
permanent loss of E •
. . uropean hegemony. The conflict left the warnng
nat1ons 1mpoverished E . 01 d
. I · uropean mdustry reduced in size by 40 10, an
agncu ture by 30o/c AII E
. º· uropean countries were in debt. They had to
issue government b d d .
. on s an take out war loans with other countnes,
part1cularly the United States.
In contrast
. • the un·t
1 e d 5 tates was the great benefic1ary
. of the war,
an d 1ts economy b h
d . ecame t e most powerful in the world. lts gross
ome5tic product doubled in the war years and the dollar replaced the
pound sterling as the mam · currency used ·m ·mternat1ona
· 1transact1ons.
•
G. Clemenceau
l]J What were the economic and demographic consequences of the war? L. George l __(France)
(Great Brit~ .
The organisation of peace ~~ ~ :;,......1"
,.,... "e -"'. • ..
In January 1919, a conference was held in Paris to establish the . .

terms fo~ peace. The Treaty of Versailles imposed the terms of ._ -. . -- ;._,

peace w1th Germany, while other treaties were signed with Austria,
Bulgaria, Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Together, they broke
. . : .. ~-·,:\~\
• ,
.._,,.,. '. I
up Europe's empires and drew new borders.
US President Woodrow Wilson presented a manifesto (Wilson's 14
points) based on his vision for peace and a desire to not seek
....
revenge. At Wilson's suggestion, the League of Nations (LN) was lllustration from J'ai vu magazine, February 1919.
created to guarantee peace and cooperation between states.
Howe_ver, the project failed because Germany, along with the other
defeated nations, and the USSR were initially excluded. In addition, The League of Nations
the US senate voted not to join. Ultimately, the League of Nations
and the USA had no influence on international politics. In order to promote international
co-operation and to achieve international
[iiJ ~ Why was the League of Nations created? Why ·did it fail? peace and security:
- by the acceptance of obligations not to
New ptoblems, new conflicts resort to war,
lnstead of bringing stability, the peace conference created new - by the prescription of open, just and
disputes. The Germans considered the conditions of the Treaty of honourable relations between nations,
Versailles a humiliation, which increased their sense of nationalism - by the firm establishment of the
and the desire for future revenge. ltaly's frustration at not receiving understandings of international law as the
the land they had requested also led to increased nationalism. actual rule of conduct among governments,
and
On the other hand, the Russian Revolution of 1917 had produced
- by the maintenance of justice and a
a tense situation in Europe. The Bolshevik revolution encouraged
scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations
revolutionary forces elsewhere in Europe, leading to uprisings in in the dealings of organised peoples with
Germany and Hungary. These were suppressed, but provided one another,
evidence of a new conflict between capitalism and communism.
[We] agree to this Covenant of the League of
@ ~ What new disputes resulted from the peace conference? Nations.
The Covenant of the league of Nations, 1919.

148 Unit 1
 THE PEACE TREATIES: ANEW EUROPEAN MAP The Treaty of Versailles .. .. _ ..., _,
r· · . .. ---
. The most important treaty was signed at
Versailles and established peace with
The result of the
·
First World War, the peace t
h d
.
reat1es and the Gennany. It declared that Gennany was
Russian Revolut1on e ange the map of Europe. The bi
s the end of the great empires and the form t· fggest change responsible for the war and forced it to pay
wa . 1 h h . a ion o new nations ' out large amounts of money to compensate
the princ1p e t at eac nat1on could form a • d
on n in ependent state. for the destruction caused.
However, the borders
• ••
of many of the new stat es d"dI not It also took away Gemany's colonial empire
respond to nat1ona 11t1es. Sorne states such p 1 -d . and divided it between Britain and France.
cor . . 1d d1 ' as o an ' Romarna
and Yugoslavia, •me u be arge minorities of other nat·1ona1.. 1t1es ' Finally, its anny and navy were reduced to a
Morever the all1ance etween Poland and Rom . · mínimum, and part of its territory was
. 'h USSR arna protected them
against t e • divided between the victors.
r:íl S How did the map of Europe change after the war,.
U!J
War reparations
EUROPEAN BORDERS AFTER THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES
Art. 231. The Allied and Msociated
- border of the old
Govemments affirm and Germany accepts
Austro-Hungarian Empire the responsibility of Germany and her
o - border of the Russian Empire in
1914
allies for causing all the loss and damage
-
1
border of the German Empire in to which the Allied and Associated
- ~ 1914 Govemments and their nationals have
11) territory lost by Germany been subjected (... ).
• territory los! by Austria·Hungary Art. 232. (.. .) The Allied and Associated
D O territory lost by Russia Govemments (... ) require, and Germany
undertakes, that she will make
' • territory lost by Ottoman Empire
compeñsation for all damage done to the
N • territory lost by Bulgaria civilian population of the Allied and ,
IZ::)newstates Associated Powers and to their property
(...).
Treaty of Versailles: Part vm.
US S R Reparaüons, 1919.

GERMANY CEDES:
• Alsace-Lorraine to France
• Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark
• Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium
• Posen to Poland

a OTTOMAN
EMPIRE
• Niemen to Lithuania
Prussia is separated by the Danzig corridor.

END OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE

USSR THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE Appearance of new states:
Surrender of territory to • Czechoslovakia • Yugoslavia ·
Independence of the Baltic States and the
surrender of a large territory to Poland. Greece, France and Great • Hungary • Poland
Britain (mandates). • Austrtia
Bessarabia proclaimed union with Romanía.

ACTIVITIES
1. ~ Anew world war broke out in 1939. Identify three 2. • Work in three groups: Britain, France and USA. In your
Problems resulting from the First World War that help group, d_iscuss what you want to get out of the negotiation,
~Plain why this happened. Put them in order of e.g. ternto~, peace, etc. Debate with th~ other groups and
importance and discuss your answers. try to negotiate your own Treaty of Versailles.

The Flrst World Wu ad the Russla Revolutlon 149

Summary • Summ ary • SummarY •
EUROPE IN THE EARLY zotH CENTURY
1. Copy and complete the concept map in your notebook.

EUROPE IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

tension between powers 1--- - - - caused - -- ~ rst World Wa~

------ l
r
total war
consequences

! - casualties
!
.. . race _ war of movement - material losses
territorial
- trench .. . - debt and economic crisis
conflicts
- new map of ...

military
i
France and
1
During this time, the following
event also took place:
- hard conditions impOSed
on .. .
alliances - - over - . Morocco

~
Russian Revolution (1917)
Austria-Hungary
and . . . -
[J
over - . ...

Triple
\ ... Revolution . .. Revolution - instigated by ___. [J
Triple ··• - - over
and Russia
-. [J
···
t
democratic republic
+
... dictatorship - led to ___ _. Stalinism

2. Check what you know.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

a) Explain the different alliances that were established IDENTIFY KEY CONCEPTS
between countries before the First World War.
• armed peace • tsarism • war reparations
b) What were the stages of the First World War?
List the characteristics and the important events of • arms race • Soviets • suffragette
each. • League of • Bolshevism movement
e) What were the political, economic and social Nations (LN)
consequences of the First World War? IDENTIFY KEY FIGURES
d) Why did Germany consider the Treaty of Versailles • Franz Ferdinand • Nicholas II
a humiliation? What conditions were imposed
on it? • Woodrow Wilson • Lenin
e) Why did a revolution break out in 1905? What regime EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE
replaced tsarism? • Triple Entente/Triple Alliance
f) What was the role of the Russian Civil War in the • war of movement/trench warfare
strengthening of Bolshevism?
• February Revolution/October Revolution

ANSWER THE INITIAL UESTION

1-1t11•3131Hí. ::
What events took place in Europe at the beginning of
the 20 th century? How did they affect world politics? Use the Quick revision boxes and the activities on this
page to help you remember the main points of the unit.

152 Unit 1