Millitarism + Alliances

Militarism

Military strength = national strength
→military spending + arms races (e.g., Britain vs Germany).

Propaganda promote militarism → rivals shown as aggressive, justify actions
Weak militaries = governments seen as weak, lose media support.
Promotes militaristic leaders → diplomacy = less likely.
Encourages alliances to defend against new weapons/technology.

New tech + causes

1870-1914 = second indus rev
-New tech intro, elec + use of petrol expansion
-linked w/ ↑ military spending

Developments:
Machine Guns → portable, accurate, 600 rounds/min → created stalemate in trench warfare.
Heavy Artillery (e.g., Big Bertha) → explosive shells + shrapnel → massive casualties.
Rifles → improved accuracy & range (Lee-Enfield: up to 2,000m).

New tech (transport) + effect (total war)

Intro Automobiles/Tanks → ↑ troop transport & mobility.
Intro Aircraft (Zeppelins, planes) → first use of air power in war.

Effects

Total war = whole economies and societies mobilise
-Target civilian population through air raids, bombing
-Industrial resources = determined weapon production → economies tied to the war effort.

Great Naval Race 1906-1914
Britain vs Germany 
Causes

1900 belief = strong nation = strong navy + large empire
-British navy = superior + defend itself

1906: Britain create → revolutionised battleship design cus superior
Germany = worried + begin navel race
-built 4 dreadnoughts (slower, stronger)

1914:
G: 21 dreadnoughts
B: 29 dreadnought

Naval Race effect

→Increased tensions. B = determined to keep navel supre
G = slow down navy race if B remain neutral in fut wars (B = refuse)
B =  worried abt G power + wanted to restrict

→ Entente Cordiale

Alliances

Alliances = formal agreements (political, military, economic) between nations.
→ rival create own → balance of power

Many alliances = covert
Public alliances = valuable cus warned enemy.

Purpose:
-deterrent to war, defend against superior enemy
-improve relations e.g F + R
-Protect empires (e.g. B + F stopped colonial rivalry to defend against bigger euro rivals

Dual alliance + triple allieance

1879: Dual Alliance (military) (Germany + Austria-Hungary) → mutual defense if attacked by Russia.

1882: Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy).
-Driven by anti-French/Russian sentiment.
-Created a united bloc in Cent Europe, split R + F → ↑ fears of G’s grow power

Italy = newly formed state, militarily weak, minor partner

Treaty of London + Franco-Russian Alliance

Treaty of London (1839, paper): Belgium declared an independent nation + neutral state.
- G invaded Belgium + F in 1914, Britain was bound to act → Britain entered WWI.

Franco-Russian Alliance (1894) = direct response to Triple Alliance.
-Military alliance → France + Russia
-economic benefits: R = access to F loans. R industries = access to F investors
-reaction, overcome differences

Entente Cordiale + Anglo-Russian Entente (motivated by threat of triple alliance)

Entente Cordiale (1904):
-Friendly agreement → ended 100 years of hostility btwn B + F
-Stop colonial disagreements (e.g. Africa).
-Not a military alliance - agree stop fighting → paved way for cooperation against G

Anglo-Russian Entente (1907):
-Restored good relations after long rivalry in Central Asia (B + R)
-Not military, ↑ trust.

Triple Entente 1907

Combined EC + AR Entente
-Not military alliance, diplomatic unific
-Form alliance bloc opposite the Triple Alliance
-Agree stop fighting → prepare military corporation against Triple alliance

Effects
-Created 2 alliance blocs by 1907
-prepared the nations for joint military support when WWI broke out.