Essay Preview: Gg
Report this essay
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