first world war notes

Subject: first world war notes Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:19 pm

THE FIRST WORLD WAR

In 1914 a war began in Europe which soon engulfed almost the entire world with the battles fought in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

(I) CAUSES FOR THE FIRST WORLD WAR:

The Long Term Causes:

1. Division of Europe into two hostile groups:
Germany entered into an alliance with Austria-Hungary. In 1882, Italy joined the alliance and it came to be known as the TRIPLE ALLIANCE
After the death of Bismarck, the German Chancellor, France was able to establish friendly relations with Russia and England. The three countries entered into the TRIPLE ENTENTE in 1907 to counter the Triple Alliance. Later, Japan joined the Triple Entente. They had made treaties of mutual help to each other in case of a war with the opponents. Thus, Europe was divided into two hostile groups.

2. Imperialistic Rivalries:
Most of Asia and Africa had already been occupied by England and France. Germans dreamed of expanding in the east. They had planned the construction of a railway line from Berlin to Baghdad. This plan created a fear in Britain, France and Russia as the completion of this railway would endanger their ambitions in the Ottoman Empire. The Germans had ambitions to rule over Africa.
Italy wanted Tripoli in North Africa. France wanted Morocco in Africa.
Russia wanted Iran, the territories of the Ottoman Empire and Britain wanted Egypt.
Thus the rivalry over the colonies became a major cause of World War I.

3. Race for Armaments:
There was an armament race. If one country increased its armaments, other countries were compelled to do the same. Germany began to build a powerful navy. Germany also dug the Keil Canal deeper for the war-ships to remain there. Britain and France were concerned with the Germany’s growing military strength. So they were forced to enter the armament race.

4. No Effective Machinery for the Preservation of Peace:
There were no effective International laws amongst nations. In the First Hague Conference called on the invitation of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, a proposal was made that no nation should increase its armies or defence budget for five years. But nothing could be finalized there, mainly because the Germans opposed to it. A second conference again met at Hague, but it could also not achieve the desired result. In the absence of any International Organisation to sort out the causes of conflict amongst nations, they were left to themselves to safeguard their own interests through armaments, secret diplomacy and alliances.

5. Narrow Nationalism:
The love of one’s own country demanded the hatred of the other. Nationalism led to the creation of two new powers – Italy and Germany.

6. System of Secret Alliances:
The whole of Europe was divided into two armed camps – the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente, bound by secret alliances. This secret diplomacy gave rise to the feelings of mutual suspicion, distrust and hatred.

7. Balkan Crisis:
Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. These provinces were wanted by Serbia, who had the support of Russians to establish a united Slav State in the Balkans. In 1912, four Balkan countries – Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece, started a war against the Turks. As a result, turkey lost her possessions in Europe. Austria had helped Albania become an independent state. This increased the animosity between Serbia and Austria.

8. Germany’s Desire to be World power:
Germany’s desire to be considered as a world power added to the growing unrest. After the fall of Bismarck, Germany’s ambitions began to soar high and she set her eyes on world dominance.

9. Negative Role of the Press:
Newspapers and the media poisoned public opinion by presenting views in such a manner that it created an atmosphere of doubt and distrust. This proved harmful to the world peace.

Immediate Causes:

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.

Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary was assassinated at Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia by Serbian nationalists, whose aim was to unite all Serbians into a single Serbian state. Austria served an ultimatum on Serbia making eleven demands. The Serbian government refused to accept some of the demands on the grounds that they involved violation of its sovereignty (loss of their independence). So Austria declared war on Serbia. Germany declared war on Russia and on France, and Great Britain declared war on Germany.

(II) ENTRY OF USA IN THE WAR:
In 1915, the German U-Boats had sunk a British ship, Lusitania. Among the passengers killed, some of them were Americans. The Americans were generally sympathetic to Britain, and this incident further roused anti-German feelings in the USA. Thus USA declared war on Germany.

(III) EXIT OF RUSSIA:
Russia withdrew from the war after the October Revolution. Bolshevik Government came to power under the leadership of Lenin. Russia signed a peace treaty with Germany in 1918, known as the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Germany imposed harsh terms on Russia and the Russian governmenr accepted them.

(IV)END OF THE WAR:
Germany and her allies began to collapse. There was political unrest in Austria-Hungary and Germany. Turkey surrendered. The emperor of Austria-Hungary surrendered.

PEACE TREATIES
The victorious powers or the Allies met in a conference first in Versailles and later in Paris. The terms of the peace treaties were really decided by Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Britain, and George Clemenceau, Prime minister of France.

THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

As a result of the discussions at the Paris Conference on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. It ended the war. The basis of the treaty’s negotiations was the American president’s Wilson’s Fourteen Points. The treaty was signed to prevent Germany from going to war again.

Terms of the Treaty
1. The Treaty declared Germany guilty of attack.

2. Germany was required to pay for the loss & damages suffered by the allies during the war. Germany had to surrender her merchant ship to the Allies as compensation. They had to supply huge quantities of coal to France, Italy & Belgium for 10 years.

3. The area of the Rhine Valley was to be demilitarized. German territory west of Rhine was to be occupied by the Allied troops for 15 years.

4. Germany lost Alsace-Lorraine to France. Danzig, the largest sea-port was to be made a free port.

5. Most of the Polish territory held by Germany was returned to the new Republic of Poland.

6. The coal mines in the German area called Saar were given to France for 15 years.
7. Germany lost all her colonies to the victorious Allies - Britain, Belgium, South-Africa and Portugal.

8. German colonies in the Pacific were given to Japan.

9. German army and navy was restricted. The Air Force and submarines were banned.

10. It was agreed by all the parties that an international organization called League of Nations should be set up to maintain peace and security in future.

Besides the Treaty of Versailles, four other treaties were signed with the allies of Germany. These were:

TREATY OF ST.GERMAIN:
Austria-Hungary was also forced to sign a separate treaty with the allies by which she had to accept the following conditions:

1. Austria-Hungary was broken up into two separate kingdoms of Austria and Hungary.

2. Austria had to surrender territories to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Poland and was forced to accept their independence.

3. The Austria army was reduced. Austria was forced to pay a huge war-indemnity.

TREATY OF TRIANON:
Hungary was recognized as a separate state and was forced to sign the Treaty of Trianon.

TREATY OF SEVRES:
Turkey was forced to sign the Treaty of Sevres. The Turkish Empire was completely broken up and given to the Allies.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR:

1. Changed the Political Map of the World:
The war and the peace treaties transformed the political map of the world. Three ruling parties were destroyed – Russia, Germany and
Austria-Hungary. The rule of Ottomans came to an end in Turkey. Austria and Hungary became separate independent states. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia became independent states. The autocratic monarchial system came to an end and led to the development of democracy in Europe.

2. Gave Impetus to Nationalism:
The war gave a great impetus to the principles of nationalism and self determination.

3. End of European Supremacy:
The period after the war saw the end of the European supremacy. Economically and militarily the United States emerged as a world power.

4. Strengthening of Freedom Movements:
The period after the war saw the strengthening of freedom movements in Asia and Africa. Colonies of the French and the British in Asia and Africa began declaring their independence.

5. New Weapons of Destruction:
A large number of new weapons were introduced. The British introduced the use of tanks and submarines called U-boats were used by Germany on a large scale.

6. Loss of Life:
The war saw the death of large number of people due to air raids, epidemics and famines.

7. Economic Losses:
Economies of many countries were shattered. It gave rise to many serious social problems.

8. Boosted Scientific Progress:
The war gave a great boost to scientific progress. The necessities of the war led to the improvement in ships, submarines and aeroplanes.

9. Gave a Blow to Racialism:
Before the war, the Europeans refused to mingle with the Asians and the Africans because they regarded themselves as racially superior to the Asians or Africans. But during the war, the Europeans gave up this feeling of racial superiority and fought along with the Asian and African soldiers.

10. The League of Nations:
The creation of the League of Nations was one of the most significant features of the war. The horrors of the war convinced the leaders of the world that there must be a mechanism to prevent war and promote international co-operation. This culminated in the setting up of the League of Nations.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

It was a set up for the preservation of peace and to guarantee the independence of all states. It was created as a world organization of all independence states in 1920. It had its headquarters at Geneva in Switzerland.

Aims and Objectives of the League of Nations:

1. All the states of the world were prohibited from entering into any secret treaties and alliances.

2. The member states were not supposed to maintain huge armies, warships and destructive armaments.

3. All states were to respect each other’s independence.

4. All states were to refer their mutual disputes to the League of Nations for a peaceful settlement.

5. The member states were to take necessary action as directed by the League of Nations against any state which tried to disturb world peace and order.

6. Apart from political functions, the League of Nations was supposed to promote cultural, social and economic co-operation among the member states.

Two major countries – Germany and the Soviet Union were not allowed to become its members for many years; while India, which was not independent, was made a member. The United States which had played an important part in the setting up of the league ultimately decided not to join it.
The rise of dictatorship in Italy and Germany led to the weakening of the League of Nations and it failed in its object of maintaining peace in the world. The league came to an end as Hitler committed aggression on Poland which began World War II (1939-1945).

yenjay!! Wink

Subject: Re: first world war notes Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:01 am

thnk u very mch !!!

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osheen I wanted The Second World War notes . Very Happy

If you don't mind Crying or Very sad

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thanks a lot .it'll be helpful for many of us.

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we dont have the course of war in the syllabus

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yah...its not there.

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will it be enough to study only from these notes???

anyways thnk u soooooo much!! very helpful!! study

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someone plz tell y did the Sarajevo crisis create tension between Russia nd Austria??...i found dis question in the exrcise of the chapter.... Idea

after the assasination of archduke ferdinand at Sarajevo,Austria started war on Serbia na?/ then wat made Russia & Austria enemies??
SOMEBODY PLZ HELP!! Question

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1) russia n serbia are slav nations....when serbia was attacked by austria, serbia turned to russia for help...so, russia started accumulating weapons in order to help serbia....

2) meanwhile, germany promised austria that it would help Actually, germany was the one which provoked austria to start the war.

3) so, when russia started military activities, austria, which was not so powerful, asked germany for help.

4) germany asked russia to withdraw from serbia...but it didnt agree...so, war started with russia on one side and ausria n germany on the other.

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ok...got it..thnx...!!

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r the treaties of st. germain, trianon & sevres there in the syllabus??
in my school v hv been taught only the treaties of versailles & brest-litovsk....

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i dont think...well dont take a risk...just learn on which country de were imposed...not their yearsn terms n all....

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well i'm in class 9th...i think 4 us only the 2 treaties of versailles & brest-litovsk r in the syllabus...!!

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hey!!i dint have world war in class 9th!!!

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wat?! which book did u study in 9th?..v started class 10th book 4 the final term....& v did 1st & 2nd world war& fascism n nazism frm history dis time...

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hey!!we had morning star buk....n we dint have ne idea of world wars or fascism n all...well chalo its gud dat u have read it now only....so u wont face be prob. in 10th....

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yupss rit!!!!!!