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In 1871, Germany finally became a unified nation. Otto von Bismarck was responsible for this because he was the one that brought Germans together. Smaller states united with bigger ones during wars. Prussia created Germany after they defeated the Austrian Empire and France in war.
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Germany became the strongest it's ever been. It surpassed Britain in being Europe’s leading industrial power. Germany was rapidly growing and many other nations weren't happy about it. Their developments changed the way power was distributed in Europe.
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Serbia would be independent from the Ottoman Empire because the Great Powers were able to recognize it. However, the Great Powers put Austria-Hungary in charge of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is a region of filled with Croats, Turks, and Serbs on the border of Serbia. At this time, Russia formed a close relationship with Serbia and they became Serbia’s protector.
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In 1882, Germany wanted to protect itself from France and its nation. So, it decided to form alliances between other nations. Germany formed an alliance with the two countries, Italy and Austria-Hungary. They would be called the Triple Alliance. -
Germany was behind Great Britain and France during the scramble for colonies. The German leaders were not pleased with this. Bernhard von Bulow stated, “To stand dreamily to one side while other people split up the pie, we cannot and we will not do that. If the English speak of a ‘Greater Britain;’ if the French speak of a ‘Nouvelle [New] France;’ if the Russians open up Asia; then we, too, have the right to a greater Germany." Germany wanted to become better than they ever were before.
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In 1904, Russia’s Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed. It linked Europe and Asia for the very first time. It would expand trade, landholding, and Russian influence in East Asia.
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Russia spiked the war by seizing Manchuria and establishing a protectorate over Mongolia. Japan wasn't happy with they because they also wanted the resource-rich region. In 1904, Russia and Japan went to war over Manchuria and Korea.
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In 1904, the United States made an announcement that they were going to take control over any Latin American nation that didn't have to ability to properly manage its affairs. Many nations would be handled by the US from 1904 to 1916. This also made sure that European powers wouldn't have much control in Latin America because it would protect the US's investments and power in the region.
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Russia and Japan went to war of Manchuria.
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Russia did very poorly in the war against Japan. In 1905, the United States decided to stop the war with German and British support. They forced a settlement between the two nations. Manchuria would be returned to China and Japan would control Korea. However, Russia and Japan were still not satisfied.
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France also wanted to form alliances to make sure that they were protected. When the Reinsurance Treaty’s ended, France quickly formed an alliance with Russia. Through their alliance, France provided Russia with money and assistance to help them build railroads and modernize their army. Britain saw this and joined their alliance because they had their own concerns regarding Germany's growth. In 1907, France, Russia, and Britain created an alliance called the Triple Entente. -
Many Serbs weren't happy that Bosnia-Herzegovina wasn't a part of Serbia. They believed that it should be connected. Russia had a close relationship with Serbia, so they supported their beliefs. Russia helped Serbia in two short Balkan Wars. The wars ended Ottoman rule on the peninsula and divided the Ottoman lands among the Balkans. At this time, Russia also wanted to weaken Austria-Hungary, while increasing its own influence in the Balkans.
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Tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia were high. Austria-Hungary feared that nationalism was spike in Serbia. In June 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was murdered because of an act of Serbian nationalism. Gavrilo Princip was from the Black Hand and he killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand. -
The war was greeted with enthusiasm and patriotism by many Europeans when it first started. They had confidence that their own nation would win. Their patriotic confidence and celebration was nation wide. Many people didn't have negative reactions to the news; instead they were thrilled. They had a sense of pride, but that wouldn't last for long. -
Austria-Hungary didn't take Franz Ferdinand’s assassination very well. With Germany’s support, Austria-Hungary made a list of demands to Serbia. Austria-Hungary made the demands harsh because they wanted Serbia to reject them and give them an excuse for war. However, Serbia surprisingly decided to agree to most of the demands. Austria-Hungary wasn't thrilled, so they chose to declare war on Serbia.
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Germany asked Russia to stop its preparation for war. They demanded that they stop beginning to mobilize and ready its army. Germany gave Russia 24 hours to back out of the war. When Russia ignored these demands, Germany declared war on them.
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Germany demanded that France pledge neutrality in the war. They gave them a chance to not get between Germany and Russia. France ignored these demands and Germany declared war them.
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French, British, and colonial troops at Gallipoli fought against Turkish defenses for Constantinople. Japan and Britain took islands in the Pacific that were held by Germans. In Africa, France and Great Britain tried to take colonies controlled by Germany.
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The British started a blockade of Germany to stop its overseas trades in 1914. The North Sea was declared a war zone by Great Britain and the British warships could stop any ship for Germany and take their supplies. Germany responded similarly and they created a blockade of Britain. The German navy wasn't able to compete with the British navy; which created a opportunity for Germany to advance. They got submarines to enforce its blockade. They were able to torpedo and sink ships instantly. -
Tensions between the Ottomans and Armenians were very high. This led the Three Pashas to arrest hundreds of Armenian people; including political and intellectual leaders. They were put into work camps, where some were left to die and some were killed at the spot. Some Armenians were even led onto death marches that would go to the Syrian desert. German military officers participated in this genocide. More than a million Armenians were tortured and killed. -
Many people were killed here. Almost all Russians were killed in Tannenberg. Russia lost lots of lives and resources. At that time, Austrians were conquering Serbia and Romania.
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Germany asked Mexico to go to war with the US and in exchange, Germany would help them retrieve lost territory. Mexico would be rewarded with lands in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. When the information went public, the United States to declared war on Germany.
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The Western Front was a very brutal battle field. Little success was achieved, but many people were killed. Many soldiers lost their lives here. The trench warfare caused many people lost their lives during this time. Not much territory was gained compared to the amount of people killed. -
Soldier would mix new technology with old tactics and it would lead to deadly situations. Rifles could hits target with more accuracy and machine guns could fire 600 bullets per minute. These new weapons allowed for better range and accuracy of artillery. Tanks, poison gas, and planes that could artillery fire and drop bombs were also used. -
Many hardships at home were created for the people. There were shortages of food, fuel, and raw materials. This made everything more expensive and hard to obtain. Clothing also became scarce and people didn't have enough to eat. -
Russia withdrew from the war at the end of 1917. This allowed Germany to move 500,000 of their troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front. They hoped to defeat the British and French forces before the Americans came.
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The Fourteen Points were a list of terms that would resolve war. They made sure that there would be a reduction of arms, free trade, no secret treaties. Wilson's goal was to make peace in the world and to stop wars. It strengthened the peace movements that took place in Germany and Austria-Hungary. -
Germans were going through hardships and they lost confidence that they could win. Kaiser abdicated the throne and fled to the Netherlands. Civilian political leaders turned Germany into a republic and took control. On November 11, 1918, an armistice was signed and it was an agreement to stop fighting.
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Germany created a large attack against the British soldiers. This pushed the British and French forces back to their territory. The German army was able to get into range of Paris, however many people died. Both sided were exhausted, but the Allies were given 300,000 American troops. They arrived on the Western Front and they helped France stop the German advance. -
The Allies decided to counterattack after Germany attacked at the Second Battle of the Marne. The American army was able to defeat German forces at Saint Mihiel. This allowed the Americans to join British and French soldiers to defeat the Germans in the Battle of the Argonne Forest. The German army continued to lose; which pushed them back into Germany.
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The armies of the Serbian, Italian, Greek, French, and British forces went against the troops in the Balkans. This intimidated Bulgaria and they surrendered on September 30. British and Arab troops were advancing into the Ottoman Empire; which encouraged the Turks to surrender on October 30. Austria-Hungary also asked for peace because its whole empire was destroyed on the inside.
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An international conference took place in France and it would set the terms of peace. Leaders from the Allies would speak; that included Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States. The leaders from the Central Powers were not able to voice their opinions. Many treaties with Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey were created. -
The Treaty of Versailles was created by Wilson, Clemenceau, and Lloyd George. Germany was forced to sign the treaty and they were horrified by it. They treaty would acknowledge that Germany would take full blame for the war, oppose huge reparations, limit the size of their military, and return Alsace and Lorraine to France. -
The League of Nations offered relief of nations and it would prevent future war. It relied on collective security to keep peace. It also gave the Allies a way to take control over territory in Africa and the Middle East that was controlled by the Germans and Ottoman. They would become mandates under the League. A member nation would be chosen to temporally govern a mandate and help it lead to independence.