WHII.

10 World War I & the Russian Revolution

World War I (1914-1918) was caused by competition among industrial nations in Europe and a failure of diplomacy.
The war transformed European and American life, wrecked the economies of Europe, and planted the seeds for a second
world war.
Causes of World War I
Alliances that divided Europe into competing camps. The Triple Alliance was formed,
and
included Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. At the start of the war, the Triple Alliance
evolved
into the Central Powers, and included Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire,
and
Bulgaria. The Triple Entente was formed in response to the Triple Alliance,
including
Great Britain, France, and Russia. The Triple Alliance became the Allied powers at
the start of
the war.
Nationalistic feelings rose in every nation, as well as among different ethnic
groups.
Ethnic and national tensions were particularly high in the Balkan region, where
Slavic and
Croats continually pushed for independence.
Diplomatic attempts to keep the peace in Europe failed as many nations continued to build militaries and attempt to gain
control of new territories.
Imperialism among European nations intensified the conflict, and nations attempted to gain control of territory in Africa
and Asia, increasing the competition over colonies in other parts of the world.
An arms race and increasing militarism led each of the major European powers to build their armies and naval forces.
Each nation built a large standing army, and prepared to go to war at any moment.
Major events
The assassination of Austrias Archduke Ferdinand was the spark of World War I. Ferdinand
was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by a Serbian national in 1914. The assassination was an
act of nationalist pride response to discontent over Austria-Hungarys control over Bosnia.
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia entered to help ally Serbia
Germany entered to help ally Austria-Hungary; England and France entered to help
ally Russia.
World War I waged for three years before the United States entered the war in 1917. The
United States entered the war in response to continued unrestricted submarine warfare by
Germany and the Zimmerman Note. German u-boats sank all ships travelling to nations with
which they were at war. The worst example of this was the Lusitania, a passenger ship sunk in
1915. The Zimmerman Note was an attempt by Germany to enlist the help of Mexico to win the war against the United
States. While Mexico did not enter the war against the United States, the combination of the two led to an increased call
for war in America, and the U.S. enters the war in 1917. Entry into the war turns the tide of the war to the allies, and an
armistice (truce) was signed on November 18, 1918.
Russia left the war in 1917 as a result of internal problems. The Bolshevik Revolution overthrew the government in
Russia, creating a communist state and putting Vladimir Lenin in power.
Major leaders
Woodrow Wilson was President of United States throughout World War I.
Kaiser Wilhelm II was the leader of Germany during World War I.
Outcomes and global effect
Colonies participated in the war on behalf of their controlling nation. Their participation will increase demands for
independence. Many will gain independence prior to and after World War II.
WWI brought an end to many European Empires, including the Russian Imperial Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the
German Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian empire. The Russian Imperial Empire will become the Soviet Union under
the communist government, the Ottoman Empire will exist only as Turkey, Germany will lose control of all colonies, and
Austria-Hungary will lose territory, and be divided into two separate nations. New nations will be formed from territory
taken from these empires, including Poland, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.
The war held an enormous cost in lives, property, and disrupted the social structure of European nations.
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was negotiated by the Big Four
and the United States

leaders of England, France, Italy

England: David Lloyd George

France: George Clemenceau
Italy: Vittorio Orlando
United States: Woodrow Wilson
The European leaders pushed for a treaty that was particularly harsh on Germany. The treaty limited the German
military, forced Germany to accept complete responsibility for the war, surrender control of all of its colonies, and to pay
reparations to the nations of Europe.
Woodrow Wilson argued for his Fourteen Points, designed to prevent future conflict and eliminate the causes of war.
The main point was to create a League of Nations. The League was meant to provide a forum for nations to solve their
disputes diplomatically, rather than through armed conflict. Woodrow Wilson conceded many of his points, and allowed
for the punishment of Germany, and won establishment of the League of Nations in the Treaty of Versailles.
Russian Revolution
Russia entered World War I as an absolute monarchy under the Tsar Nicholas II. Russian
society existed with sharp class divisions between the nobility and the peasants. The Tsar
refused to acknowledge the growing class conflict and allow for any change within the
government, refusing to resolve the grievances of workers and peasants. Inadequate
administration in World War I led to the revolution and an unsuccessful provisional
government. A second revolution by the Bolsheviks created the communist state that
ultimately became the U.S.S.R.
Causes of 1917 revolutions
Russian people were unhappy with the leadership and the military defeat in war with Japan in 1905. This combined with
military defeats and high casualties in World War I increased tensions among the Russian people and helped spark the
Bolshevik Revolution.
Landless peasants demanded land from the government, and led revolts outside the palace of the Tsar in an attempt to
promote change. Tsar Nicholas II, seen by many as incompetent, refused change. Even establishment of a duma, a
provisional government, did not allow for change, as Nicholas dismissed the Duma any time his power was challenged.
Rise of communism
The Bolshevik Revolution led to a civil war in Russia. The White Army, representing the existing government of the
Tsar, was unable to defeat the Red Army, led by Leon Trotsky and fighting for the Bolshevik revolutionaries.
Vladimir Lenin took control of the new communist party and the government in Russia. Lenins New Economic Policy
brought a socialist economy to Russia. Lenin brought the major industries under state control, but allowed for private
ownership of some small businesses and farms.
Joseph Stalin, Lenins successor, took power following the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924. Stalin competed with
many former Bolsheviks for control of the government, and upon gaining power, moves the Soviet Union to a completely
communist state, ending all private ownership of any farms and businesses.

WHII.11 League of Nations and the Interwar Period

League of Nations
The League of Nations was an international cooperative organization designed to prevent future wars. Many European
nations joined the League, however the United States not a member. The U.S. was reluctant to commit to an organization
that may be able to have an impact on its own foreign policy. The United States retreated to a position of isolation after
World War I and did not want to involve itself in the conflicts of other nations.
The League held very little power, because it did not have power to enforce and of its decisions. This was, in part, due
to the refusal of the United States to join the league. As nations became more aggressive in the 1930s, the League was
powerless to stop them.
The Mandate System
During World War I, Great Britain and France agreed to divide large portions of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East
between themselves. After the war, the mandate system gave Great Britain and France control
over the lands that became Iraq, Transjordan (Jordan), and Palestine (British controlled) and
Syria and Lebanon (French controlled). Under the mandate system, these territories would
eventually become independent nations.

 The division of the Ottoman Empire through the mandate system planted the seeds for future religious and territorial
conflicts in the Middle East, as new nations were formed on land claimed by more than one group of people.

The Great Depression

A period of uneven prosperity in the decade following World War I (the 1920s) was followed by worldwide depression
in the 1930s. Depression weakened Western democracies, making it difficult for them to challenge the threat of
totalitarianism.
Causes of worldwide depression
Germany was unable to pay the reparations it was required to pay after WWI. The failure to pay these reparations hurt
the European economies in need of money, and weakened the economies of European nations.
The industrial revolution increased the production capacities and the supply of goods and services in European and
American economies. Overproduction led to the decrease in the value of goods, and eventual inflation. The United States
was a dominant force in the global economy, and the severity of the depression in the U.S. influenced the economies of
other nations.
High protective tariffs were passed in order to protect businesses. Tariffs were meant to encourage people to buy
products made in their own nation. As a result of high tariffs, other nations would put their own in place, effectively
cutting off world trade.
There was an expansion of credit in the 1920s, which allowed people to take loans to buy land, machinery, stocks and
other items. As the economies began to crash, people could not pay back their debt.
The Stock Market Crashed in October of 1929, causing many to lose all of their investments, and forcing them to default
on loans taken to purchase stocks initially.
Impact of worldwide depression
As a result of the depression many industrial nations had very high unemployment
In the United States , the unemployment rate went as high as 25%.
Many banks failed as a result of the inability of people to repay their loans. Bank
led to the collapse of credit system in the United States and many European nations.
World trade prices collapsed as a result of high tariffs and limited trade.

rates.
failures

Rise of Dictatorships
Economic disruptions and the Great Depression following World War I led to
unstable political conditions in many European nations. Worldwide depression in the 1930s provided opportunities for the
rise of dictators in the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
German reparations assigned by the Treaty of Versailles worsened economic and political conditions in Europe and led
to the rise of totalitarian regimes in Italy and Germany.
Japan emerged as a world power after World War I and conducted aggressive imperialistic policies in Asia.
U.S.S.R. during the Interwar Period Joseph Stalin
Stalins control led to the entrenchment of communism, and he completely nationalized all
agriculture and industry.
Stalins policies included Five-year plans designed to increase production in factories,
collectivization of farms, state controlled industrialization, and use of the secret police in order to
eliminate any opposition to the government.
During Stalins reign as dictator in the Soviet Union, he used the secret police to eliminate any
opposition to his government. The Great Purge resulted in the imprisonment and death of thousands
of people who outwardly opposed state industrialization and collectivization of economic resources,
as well as many former Bolsheviks and military leaders who had challenged Stalin for power. The loss of experienced
military leaders hurt the Soviet Union during World War II.
Germany during the Interwar Period Adolf Hitler
Inflation and depression led to the growing importance of the Nazi Party in Germany.
Partys blame of European Jews for economic collapse contributed further to the
strengthening of the Nazi Party and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

The Nazi

 The Weimar Republic, the democratic government of Germany, was severely weakened by the Great Depression. The
German people also disliked the government because of their acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles and the harsh
treatment of Germany in the treaty.
A strong sentiment of anti-Semitism existed in Germany. Adolf Hitler used this, along with feelings of extreme
nationalism to promote the National German Socialist Workers Party. The Nazi Party appealed to the German sense of
national pride and the hatred of the Treaty of Versailles. Adolf Hitler was asked to serve as Chancellor in 1933, and was
the dictator of Germany within a year.
Part of Adolf Hitlers goal for Germany included the formation of the Third Reich. This included the German
occupation of nearby countries that Hitler claimed had been taken from Germany. Hitler believed that all German people
should live under one government, the Third Reich, and led to German occupation of the Rhineland, the Sudetenland, and
part of Austria.
Italy during the Interwar Period Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini took power in Italy in 1922, demonstrating the rise of fascism in Italy. Fascism
is a government based on extreme nationalism. It promotes national unity and devotion to the
states, putting the needs of the state before those of individuals. Fascist control of the economy
increased production, but wages remained low for workers.
Mussolini, known as Il Duce, promised to return Italy to the glory of Ancient Rome, through
industrial development and colonial expansion.
In the 1930s Italy invaded Ethiopia to regain territory lost in the late 1800s and to gain the natural
resources of the region. The League of Nations placed economic sanctions against Italy as a result
of the invasion; however, the League could not enforce the sanctions.
Japan during the Interwar Period Hirohito and Hideki Tojo
Hideki Tojo, Prime minister and military leader of Japan, promoted a more militaristic
government. The Emperor Hirohito promoted industrialization of Japan.
The industrialization of Japan led to the drive for raw materials and new markets. This led
take complete control of Korea in 1918, Manchuria in 1931, and to take control of the rest of
China by 1937. The League of Nations opposed aggressive actions by Japan, but was unable
them. When the League opposed Japans invasion of Manchuria, Japan left the League.

Japan to
eastern
to stop