2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941 Depth Study: History AQA A level Revision.

Who were the biggest world powers at the end of the 19th century?

The Great Powers were Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. These countries and their politics dominated world affairs, both economic and political.

Two democratic powers in Europe between 1890 and 1900.

France and Great Britain.

Autocratic countries in Europe between 1890 and 1900

Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The political structures of the Great Powers: liberal democracies in Britain.

Great Britain was a constitutional monarchy. The British monarch had limited power and had to cooperate with the British Parliament, which had more political powers than the monarch.

However, although Britain was a democratic country, it was not a real democracy. The right to vote was, for example, limited. The media and the press actively wrote, and at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, had a lot of influence on the decisions of politicians who had to take into account the opinion of the informed public. The two largest political parties are the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.

The political structures of the Great Powers: the effect of political structures on decision-making in Britain.

Although the monarch had limited powers, he could veto acts of parliament. The monarch also had the power to sign acts, dissolve parliament, and appoint and dismiss the prime minister.

The Prime Minister was the party's leader and had the greatest powers. He was responsible for both domestic and foreign policy and the passage of laws through parliament.

Parliament consisted of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords was mainly made up of the aristocracy, and it was old-fashioned and traditional because the aristocracy fought to preserve its rights. The lower house was more democratic because its members were not aristocrats but the rich bourgeoisie.

The political structures of the Great Powers: liberal democracies in France; the effect of political structures on decision-making.

France was not a monarchy but a republic. The period between 1870 and 1940 is known in France as the Third Republic. During this period, new political parties appeared in France. The president was the head of state, and power was divided into executive and legislative. The executive power was controlled by the president, while the legislative power was controlled by the ministers.

The legislative branch of government was divided into the lower house (the Chamber of Deputies) and the upper house (the Senate).

The political structures of the Great Powers: autocracies in Germany.

Germany was an autocratic country ruled by the emperor, but the chancellor's role was also important. Germany's constitution, adopted after the unification of Germany in 1871, was quite liberal.

The political structures of the Great Powers: the effect of political structures on decision-making

The Reichstag was a democratic national assembly whose members were elected by voting. The role of the Rahstag was to vote on the national budget and legislation, and was a sign that democracy existed in the German Empire.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the last German emperor from 1888 to 1918. However, King Wilhelm II concentrated power in his hands, so the role of the Reichstag was limited. King William II needed to assert his authority as king and respect the ideology of autocracy. He was not satisfied with the fact that the first chancellor of Germany had an influence on his decisions. In other words, King Wilhelm II believed that he had the "divine right" of the king to rule.

The political structures of the Great Powers: autocracies in Russia.

Russia was ruled by tsars until 1917. The Russian emperors had absolute power and any laws did not limit their power. Russian autocracy was strengthened when Tsar Alexander III (1881-1894) assumed the throne after his father, Tsar Alexander II, was killed by rebels. He didn't want to end up like his father and he repealed some of the liberal reforms that his father had adopted. Also, he strengthened even more police powers and his autocratic rule. Like Alexander II, his successor, Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917), was also an autocrat.

The political structures of the Great Powers: the effect of political structures on decision-making.

Russian emperors appointed ministers passed laws, and conducted foreign policy. They did not have a parliament, but they had ministers who obeyed them. The Orthodox Church also had a great influence on the emperor. However, at the end of the 19th century, opposition groups appeared that began to defy the absolute right of the emperor and the political, social, and economic conditions in Russia.

The political structures of the Great Powers: autocracies in Austria-Hungary; the effect of political structures on decision-making.

At that time, Austria-Hungary was also called the Habsburg Empire in literature. At the end of the 19th century, Austria-Hungary became a dual monarchy. Austria and Hungary had the same foreign policy, but as far as internal politics were concerned, they had separate parliaments and ministers, and each managed their own territory. The Parliament was divided into two houses: the House of Lords, to which the hereditary aristocracy belonged, and the House of Deputies, whose representatives were elected by-election.

This means that the emperor's autocracy in Austria-Hungary was partially limited, but the emperor retained the most authority.

Economic strengths and armed forces: the erosion of Britain’s economic supremacy.

Economic strengths and armed forces the rise of the German economy.

At the end of the 19th century, Great Britain was considered the greatest European and world power. Thanks to its powerful navy and the help it maintained the transport network and trade, Great Britain was the mistress of the sea.

Britain aimed to preserve its status as a dominant European and world power. Still, in the second half of the 19th century, certain countries in Europe, such as Germany, began accelerated industrialisation and dominance in world trade. Great Britain is beginning to lose the power and influence it once had.

Economic strengths and armed forces: economic reform in Russia.

After accelerating industrialisation and modernisation, Germany started to dominate the industrial production of steel, coal, and railways. Germany became Britain's main European rival. A newly unified nation, Germany began to expand economically and geographically. She aimed to expand her territory and become a more powerful empire than the British Empire. Italy and Austria-Hungary supported it.

We can conclude that Germany is experiencing economic progress thanks to accelerated industrialisation.

Economic strengths and armed forces: the relative strengths of the armed forces of the Great Powers

Between 1890 and 1900, Russia was a predominantly agricultural nation that lagged far behind other European countries in industry. When Emperor Alexander III assumed the throne in 1881, the Russian economy was still unstable, and that is why he wanted to encourage the development of trade and industry by implementing a frugal state economy, adopting taxes on imported goods, and starting the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1891. This encouraged industrial development.

The relative strengths of the armed forces of the Great Powers.

As for the armed forces, Britain and Germany dominated Europe. Germany started a policy of militarism that influenced who would take whose side in the First World War.

Germany began militarisation by signing the Triple Pact with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882, later known as the Central Powers alliance. In 1915, the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey) and Bulgaria joined them. In response to the Triple Pact of 1882, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom formed the Triple Entente in 1907.

Empires and rivalries: the ‘Scramble for Africa'.

The Scramble for Africa by seven Western European powers began in 1833 and lasted until 1914. Europeans started the new imperialism era to achieve their goals and needs. In addition to Britain and France, the countries that also participated in colonising Africa were Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

However, Germany became the main European competitor to Great Britain and its empire. The main motive of the imperialist countries was the acquisition and control of the supply of raw materials for industry, as well as the dominance over trade and the international market for the sale of goods.

Empires and rivalries: Russo-Austro-Hungarian rivalry in the Balkans.

Austria-Hungary controlled parts of the Balkans in the second half of the 19th century. Some Balkan countries did not like this, especially Serbia, which saw Russia as an ally and a defender. Russia benefited from the Balkans because it wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea, which is why it saw the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman Empire as an enemy.

Empires and rivalries: Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottomans controlled some Balkan countries for almost five centuries, from the 15th to the 20th century, so their role here was also great. Russia and the Ottoman Empire clashed and fought many times, even in the Balkans.

When the Balkans rose up against the Ottomans, Russia supported them. On the other hand, the Ottomans supported Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The state of international relations by 1900: Anglo-French rivalry.

For centuries, France and Britain had mostly relations, but the situation in Southeast Europe and the rise of Germany and other countries made them think about raising the flag and making an alliance for defence. They formed the Entente Cordiale in 1904 and were later allies against Germany in World War I and II.

The state of international relations by 1900: Anglo-German relations.

Relations here were bad because Germany rose as a new economic and political superpower in Europe and became a direct competitor to Britain in almost everything. As France and Britain smoothed over relations, relations between Germany and Britain worsened.

The British and German rivalry began at the end of the 19th century because of colonies in Africa, and only in 1907 did they ally with France and Russia, called the Triple Entente. The Triple Attack and the Triple Alliance were the main rivals in the First World War (1914-1918).

The state of international relations by 1900: the Franco-Russian alliance.

France and Russia founded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892 to show resistance to Germany.

The state of international relations by 1900: Germany’s Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary; potential for conflict.

We have already mentioned this in the card above, specifically referring to the triple pact.

Germany began the process of militarisation, concluding the Triple Pact first with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882, which later became known as the Central Powers alliance. They were later joined by the Ottoman Empire (today's Turkey) and Bulgaria in 1915.