PLANNING

Industrialism + militarism:

• Industrial Revolution

  • increased economic capabilities of all nations

  • fostered competition and tension between nations

  • Germany grew to be a world power in this time, caught up to + overtook Britain

  • Russia lagged behind but still took lead in terms of railways (in 1912 could mobilise in 30 days)

• Allowed for more focus to be placed on expanding military strength

  • fostered competition and tension between nations and led to fear of mobilisation

  • furthered by idea of "Welkpolitik" in Germany → emphasis on German nationalism + militarism

• Military plans

  • did not coincide with each other, Germany's "Schlieffen Plan" saw mobilisation as move to war, Russian plans emphasised early mobilisation but did not view it as move to war -> misinterpretations led to Germany's actions in July days

Imperialism:

• Germany's imperialist desires (Weltpolitik, Morocco Crisis)

  • Idea of Weltpolitik developed by Kaiser Wilhelm II

  • Morocco Crisis of 1905 and 1911

  • growing tensions between powers, generating rivalries + growth of nationalism

  • Caused growing divide between Ger and Br + Fr, led to dissatisfaction in Ger and embarrassment due to loss

• Imperial rivalries in the Balkans between Au-Hu and Russia + Serbia

  • Balkan wars, pan-slavism, expansionist desires of all three nations -> growing tensions between powers, generating rivalries + growth of nationalism in Serbia

    • historians: Fritz Fischer and Catriona Pennell

Nationalism + failure of July Days:

• German nationalism → increased since the unification of Germany (1871), used as a justification by the Kaiser for military and imperial expansion

  • idea of Germany getting its “place in the sun”

  • nationalism used as justification for high funding of military, means that they couldn’t back down from mobilisation without looking weak to the German public + other nations

• Balkan nationalism led to assassination of FF, which caused the July Crisis -> led to outbreak of war

  • failure of diplomacy during July Crisis led to mobilisation and the misinterpretation of said mobilisation led to war

  • historians: John Stoessinger and William Mulligan