History 12

Nationalism/Imperialism

Nationalism: a patriotic loyalty among the people within a state resulting from common bonds of language, culture and tradition. Irrational gut feelings.

1.     “The term ‘nationalism’ is used to refer to political movements seeking or exercising   state power and justifying such actions with nationalistic arguments.

·        There exists a nation with explicit and peculiar character

·        the interests and values of this nation take priority over all other interests and values.

·        The nation must be as independent as possible. This usually requires at least the attainment of political sovereignty.” (John Breuilly pg. 3)

2.     Nationalism is the central issue of the modern world. Since the demise of the Soviet Union there has been a proliferation of nationalist and ethnic conflicts. The consequent explosions of interest in ethnicity and nationalism has created an urgent need for systematic study in this field. Nations and Nationalism aims to satisfy this need.

Nationalism and WW II  - Nationalism brought instability. Germany wanting to be as powerful as Britain and France - Playground philosophy!

Germany had taken the French territory of Alsace and Lorraine in the France Prussian War of 1871.

1870-71 - Franco Prussian War - in July 1870, France declared war on Prussia in part over a disagreement about a Prussian Prince accepting the crown of Spain. By September 1870, a French army had been defeated, Emperor Napoleon III captured at Sedan, France declared a republic, and Paris under siege. In January 1871, Wilhelm I of Prussia was crowned Kaiser of a unified Germany at Versailles, Paris fell, and France surrendered, losing Alsace and Lorraine and forced to pay huge reparations. Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor or Prussia since 1862, and now Germany, subsequently sought to keep France isolated to prevent the recovery of Alsace and Lorraine.

1879 - Dual Alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary - Reached between Germany and Austria-Hungary against possible attack by Russia.

1882 - Triple Alliance of Germany , Austria-Hungary, and Italy - Against the threat of French attack, Italy joined the three year old German-Austrian Alliance to form the Triple Alliance. Chancellor Bismarck thus continued his policy of isolating France. Rumania also joined the Alliance.

1894 - Dual Entente of Russia and France - Russia concerned about relations with Austria over the Balkans, turned to France in a formal alliance against attack by Germany, Austria’s partner in the Triple Alliance.

1904 - “Entente Cordiale” of France and Britain - out of fear of Germany, Britain and France settled a number of differences ( including France exchanging her interests in Egypt for a free hand in Morocco), and entered into an informal alliance. Although not a military pact, the two countries later consulted on both military and naval matters right up to the outbreak of the Great War.

1907 - Triple Entente of Russia, France and Britain - Britain and Russia settled a number of differences in Asia. The with both countries concerned about Germany, but friendly with France, the 1894 Dual Entente and the 1904 Entente Cordiale became the ‘Triple Entente of Russia, France and Britain”.

Imperialism - the act of one country acquiring dominance of another country or region. Basically industrial nations taking advantage economically and militarily over weaker ones.

1905 - First Moroccan Crisis - Fearing France would try to annex Morocco, Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Tangier and announced his support for the Sultan.

1908 - Bosnia Crisis - An enlarged Bulgaria declared full independence from Turkey. Almost immediately Austria annexed the semi-independent Slav/Serb province of Bosnia-Herzegovina arousing the hostility of Serbia and Russia

1911 - Second Moroccan Crisis - With French troops in Morocco, and fearing France would proclaim a protectorate, Germany sent the gunboat “Panther” to Agadir. Germany backed down after a speech by David Lloyd George. Morocco came under French control in 1912.

1912-13 - Balkan Wars - Turkey had by now been expelled almost completely from Europe and the Balkans. In the first war of 1912/13, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria defeated Turkey, divided Macedonia between themselves, and created the new country of Albania. Bulgarian dissatisfaction with her gains led to the Second Balkan war (1913) against her previous allies, and to her defeat. Serbia (Austria’s enemy) emerged as the leading Balkans power.

1914 - By now the international tensions were many and complex

On what became the Allied side, these included:

·        British fear of German naval power and colonial ambitions

·        France never relinquishing her claim to Alsace and Lorraine

·        Russia championing the Balkan Slavs against the Austrians with Serbia seeking to be a leader of those Slavs

·        Italy wanting Austrian territory

On the part of the Central powers:

·        Germany continued to envy British colonial and naval power

·        Austria was under growing pressure to grant more independence to her many minority populations including Serbs

·        Turkey came under growing German military influence.