Unit 8: 20th-Century Global Conflicts - World Wars Summary

Causes of World War I

  • Militarism: The Anglo-German arms race, driven by nations striving for superior military technology.
    • The Dreadnought (HMS Dreadnought) was a battleship that outclassed all previous battleships, resetting naval power.
  • Alliances: A system created by Otto von Bismarck, intended to prevent war, but ultimately contributing to it.
  • Imperialism: Competition for empire across the globe, including internal European imperialism, particularly within the Austrian Empire.
  • Nationalism: The desire of ethnic groups for autonomy, exemplified by Serbian nationalists in the Black Hand.

World War I: Military Technologies and Trench Warfare

  • Offensive technologies (machine guns, poison gas) led to defensive strategies.
  • Trench warfare resulted in stalemates with minimal territorial gains.

US Intervention

  • World War I marked the first U.S. intervention in a European conflict, signaling a larger global role for the U.S. in the 20th century.

Russian Revolution

  • 1905 Revolution: Triggered by Bloody Sunday, leading Nicholas II to issue the October Manifesto, promising a constitution and a Duma (representative body).
    • The Tsar retained veto power, limiting the Duma's effectiveness.
  • 1917 Revolution: The Tsarist government collapsed during World War I, leading to a provisional government.
    • Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks then overthrew the provisional government.

Leninism vs. Marxism

  • Leninism: An updated form of Marxism.
    • Like Marxism, Leninism advocated for a violent revolution leading to a communist society with the proletariat in power.
    • Lenin believed a revolutionary vanguard was needed to instill class consciousness in the working class.
  • After Lenin's takeover, the government resembled a dictatorship.

War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP)

  • War Communism: Lenin's initial attempt to create a completely communist society.
  • New Economic Policy (NEP): Introduced after War Communism failed.
    • Allowed for petty capitalism (small-scale private enterprise) while the state controlled major industries.
    • Small-time capitalists could operate, but not run major manufacturing facilities.

Stalin and the Rescinding of the NEP

  • After Stalin took over, the NEP was rescinded and replaced by Stalin’s collective farming and five-year plans.

End of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles

  • World War I ended in November 1918 with an armistice.
  • The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles followed.
  • Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations was created but proved ineffective.
  • France and Britain focused on Germany's war guilt and reparations.
  • The Treaty of Versailles imposed war guilt and reparations on Germany, destabilizing its economy.
  • The Ottoman Empire was divided.

Economic Crisis and the Great Depression

  • The Treaty of Versailles led to an economic crisis, exacerbating Germany's problems.
  • The Great Depression began in 1929, affecting the world, including the United States.
  • The Depression increased support for extremist parties like the Nazis and Communists.

Rise of Fascism and Totalitarianism

  • The Great Depression led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
  • Fascism had emerged earlier in Italy under Benito Mussolini.
  • Totalitarian dictatorships aim to control all aspects of public and private life; Hitler and Stalin achieved this more fully than Mussolini.

Nazi Re-armament and the Spanish Civil War

  • Hitler initiated a re-armament policy.
  • The Spanish Civil War saw Francisco Franco (aided by fascist Italy and Nazi Germany) against forces supported by Stalin and the Soviet Union.

Left-Wing vs. Right-Wing Totalitarianism

  • Left-Wing (Communism, Bolshevism): Rejects social hierarchies; the government controls the means of production.
  • Right-Wing (Fascism, Nazism): Endorses social hierarchies; uses existing corporations for production, but they are mobilized for the state.

Nazi Ideology and Expansion

  • Nazis embraced theories of racial superiority and persecuted Jews and homosexuals.
  • Germany's expansionist policies caused World War II.
  • Germany annexed the Rhineland and Austria and invaded Poland after being warned not to, leading to declarations of war. The invasion of Poland was assisted by the Soviet Union.

World War II

  • Germany used Blitzkrieg tactics with fast-moving tanks.
  • Japan also expanded aggressively, and Japan, Germany, and Italy formed the Axis powers.

Allied Leadership and Technological Advancements

  • Winston Churchill rallied support in Britain against Hitler. He also influenced the US to aid Britain before Pearl Harbor.
  • New military technologies included jet engines, V2 rockets, and nuclear weapons (used by the U.S. in Japan).

Aftermath of World War II

  • The Allies discovered the Nazi's barbarism.
  • The Holocaust resulted from Nazi persecution of Jews, homosexuals, and Roma.

Cultural and Intellectual Developments

  • World War I shattered faith in rationalism and progress.
    • Art movements like Dadaism emerged as "anti-art."
  • The "lost generation" emerged after World War I, with literature focused on alienation.
  • Expressionism in art conveyed poignant emotional experiences, especially from veterans.

Women's Roles in European Society

  • World War I brought women into munitions factories, leading to women's suffrage in most European nations.
  • Second-wave feminism, focused on economic and social equality, emerged after World War II.

Summary of Key Points

  • World War I was caused by militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.
  • New technologies defined World War I, and trench warfare led to stalemates.
  • The Treaty of Versailles imposed war guilt and reparations on Germany, contributing to the Great Depression and the rise of totalitarian regimes.
  • Aggressive warfare by authoritarian regimes led to World War II.
  • The Allied victory in World War II ended the bloodiest period in world history, with subsequent wars being smaller in scale due to nuclear deterrence.