Gg
Essay by 24 • August 22, 2010 • 541 Words (3 Pages) • 1,011 Views
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
...
...