Manifest Destiny
"God-given" right to move west
The philosophy that drove 19th-century U.S. territorial expansion
Origins of the Manifest Destiny
early colonial period when English colonists believed that God had given them a special mission to build a new society in the New World and adopted by American nationalist in the 19th century
Freed slaves after Reconstruction
Slavery was ended but there was still social discrimination
Northern armies forced social program of Reconstruction with violent backlash following after
Once the North left the South decided not to follow it
Violated the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment
Little Bighorn
Colonel Geroge Armstrong Custer’s army was destroyed by Lakota Sioux in 1878
Wounded Knee
US cavalry slaughtered 890 men, women, and children
Emiliano Zapata
Revolutionary leader of the Mexican Revolution
Worked with Francisco Villa
Led masses of landless peasants
Importance of railroads
Construction of railroads/railroad lines drastically improved U.S. national economy
Linked all U.S. regions
Helped create integrated national economy
cheap transportation
development of other industries
Crimean War results
Was a Russian effort to gain more territory
Eventually failed, showing Russia’s weakness
Especially against western Europe
Took a severe economic toll
Prompted the tsar and his government to reevaluate and the social order and restructure/reform (Witte)
Sultan Selim III’s relationship with Janissaries
Selim attempted reforms, specifically trying to remodel his army to be like European forces
Threatened Janissaries
Janissaries revolted, killed the troops, and imprisoned the sultan
Also killed all male members of the dynasty other than Mahmud II when they tried to re-establish power
Reforms in Russia
Most significant was the emancipation of the serfs
Serfs were a peasant class that were similar to slaves
They still did not have the same rights as other citizens
Government created new groups to deal with issues of health, education, and welfare
These were formed of elected representatives
Legal reforms promoted more uses of independent judges, appellate courts, and attorneys
Industrialization was attempted but only semi-successful
Treaty of Nanjing
Chinese easily defeated by British naval forces
ended the Opium War in China
Opening of Japan
1853: US send a group of ships to Japan to open up trade and diplomatic relations with the country
Significant since Japan has been isolated prior
The Japanese government agreed to a treaty that allowed American ships to enter some Japanese ports for supplies.
Other Western countries follows and helps Japan become a modern industrial nation
However caused conflicts as Japan didn’t know whether to embrace Western ideas or stick to tradition
Boers
a group of Dutch settlers in Africa (mostly farmers and ranchers)
Believed they had been chosen by God to settle and control Cape Town
British did not like
Miners stole metals, Boers angry
Boer war started
British put them in concentration camps
they lived happily ever after (no they died)
Who were the Sepoys?
Indian Troops (mainly Hindus and Muslim) who worked for Britain
Sepoy Rebellion
Also known as the Indian Rebellion
Catalyst: British created enfield rifles with cartilages made out of animal fat, angered Hindus and Muslim
Ended unsuccessful and caused direct rule of India by the British
Russian Revolution
Started 1917
Ended during the Great War
Russia changed from a monarchy to a socialist government
Industrialization occurred by unsuccessful
Francis Ferdinand
his assassination was a catalyst for WWI
Gavrilo Princip
assassinated Ferdinand and his wife
Triple Alliance
known as the Central Powers
Germany and Austro-Hungarians joined by the Italians
motives for Triple Alliance
Each group had different motivations for joining the alliance
Germany: secure its position as a leading power in Europe, limiting the power of France and Russia
Austria-Hungary: support in its conflicts with Russia and Serbia
Italy: a way to gain support in its territorial ambitions in the Balkans
Plan XVII
heavy emphasis on rapid offensives (French)
Schlieffen Plan
fears of encirclement, conditional on mobilization of enemy forces (German)
Western front in France
Major battleground during WWI
3 year bloody stalemate
trenches from English Channel to Switzerland
System of trenches, barbed wire, and fortifications
Who fought in Western front in France
mainly Germany vs. France
Allied Powers (France, UK, and US) fought against the Central Powers (Germany)
League of Nations
Created by diplomats in Paris
International organization founded in 1920 to promote peace and cooperation among nations after WWI
42 original member-states, 26 non-Europeans
How did US play into the League of Nations?
US was reluctant to join (due to isolationism), their absence was a significant blow to the organization and they struggled to achieve their goals which led to WWII
White Man’s Burden
Written by Rudyard Kipling
Justified imperialism
Western countries felt they had a duty to spread their culture and values around the world (to promote peace and stability)
Led to conflict and resentment and reinforced racist attitudes