Milestones of the Past Century: War and Revolution (1900–1950)

CHAPTER 20 Milestones of the Past Century: War and Revolution (1900–1950)

Introduction

  • Key events shaping world history from 1900–1950:
    • First World War (1914-1918)
    • Russian Revolution (1917)
    • Great Depression (1929)
    • Rise of Nazi Germany
    • Holocaust
    • Second World War (1939-1945)
    • Chinese Revolution (1949)
    • End of European Colonial Empires

The First World War: A European Crisis with a Global Impact (1914–1918)

Europe in 1900
  • Dominance of Europe established through:
    • Military capacity
    • Colonial empires
    • Scientific and Industrial Revolutions
  • Fragility masked European pride and sense of superiority.
Origins of the Great War
  • Emerging national rivalries:
    • Italy and Germany formed two new powers by unifying fragmented territories around 1870.
    • Established powers (Britain, France, Russia) felt threatened by a rapidly industrializing Germany seeking expansion.
  • Balance of power:
    • Triple Alliance: Germany, Italy, Austro-Hungarian Empire
    • Triple Entente: Russia, France, Britain
  • An assassination on June 28, 1914, of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist triggered the war due to pre-existing alliances.
The Rush to War
  • Fear of compromise due to public pressure from rising nationalism.
  • Military culture:
    • Great Powers had large standing armies and conscription.
    • Established elaborate war plans, creating a hair-trigger atmosphere.
  • New weapons and military technology led to unprecedented casualties (approx. 10 million deaths).
Global Dimensions of the Conflict
  • Involvement of colonial troops from Africa, India, China, and others.
  • Colonies contributed significantly to the war effort, affecting global dynamics.
Outcomes of the Great War
  • Total war concept:
    • Mobilization of entire populations significantly increased state power.
    • Governments expanded authority, and civil liberties were curtailed for war efforts.
  • Social changes:
    • Shift in labor as women entered the workforce; women's suffrage movements gained momentum.
  • Political changes:
    • New national boundaries; emergence of new nations based on self-determination principles through the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Germany faced harsh penalties, leading to resentment and future aggression (rise of Adolf Hitler).
  • Social impacts:
    • Disillusionment among intellectuals; questioning the values of progress and rationality.
    • Birth of the modern genocide (Holocaust, Armenian Massacre).

Russian Revolution and Soviet Communism

Background and Elaboration on the Revolution
  • Catalyzing factors included the failures of World War I.
  • Major social upheaval, leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and acceptance of a Provisional Government.
  • Rise of Bolsheviks under Lenin, promoting radical changes.
  • Civil war followed (1917-1921), leading to establishment of the USSR by 1921.
  • Significant changes under Stalin's leadership, including:
    • Totalitarian regime structure
    • Rapid industrialization and state control of the economy
    • Collectivization of agriculture leading to famine and millions of deaths.
    • The Great Purges targeting perceived enemies.

The Great Depression (1929)

Economic Turmoil
  • Marked by stock market crash in October 1929.
  • Global economic impacts included massive unemployment and social disarray in Western capitalist nations.
  • National responses: focus on import substitution and state intervention in economies.
  • Comparison of responses (Democratic Socialism vs. extreme capitalistic measures).
Expansion of State Power
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal as an example of increasing federal involvement in the economy.
  • Similarities to governmental responses in Nazi Germany and Japan, where state also played a significant economic role.

Authoritarian Alternatives and Fascism

Rise of Authoritarian Regimes
  • Fascism originated in Italy under Mussolini, emphasizing extreme nationalism and opposition to socialism.
  • Nazi Germany’s rise under Hitler marked by:
    • Totalitarian control and systematic persecution of Jews.
  • Authoritarianism in Japan, characterized by military influence and right-wing nationalism, but not as punitive internally as European counterparts.

World War II (1939–1945)

Road to War in Asia
  • Japanese expansion led to conflicts with China prompting WWII in Asia.
  • Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 leads to full U.S. involvement.
Road to War in Europe
  • German aggression indicated roots of WWII, highlighted by the rearmament and territorial expansions by Hitler leading to dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles.
  • September 1, 1939, marked with the invasion of Poland, officially beginning the European theatre of WWII.
Outcomes of WWII
  • Estimated 60 million total deaths, significant destruction.
  • Shift in power dynamics and emergence of the U.S. and USSR as superpowers.
  • The Holocaust defined modern concepts of genocide and human rights violations.
  • Creation of the UN and other bodies like the IMF and World Bank aimed at stabilizing post-war geopolitics and preventing future conflicts.

Communist Consolidation and Expansion: The Chinese Revolution

Rise of the Communist Party in China
  • Mao Zedong’s role in establishing Communist control after years of conflict with the Guomindang and Japanese invasions.
  • Final victory over the Guomindang in 1949 established the People's Republic of China.
Final Reflections on War and Governance
  • History teaches the complexity of interpreting events.
  • Each war provides varying lessons on diplomacy, conflict resolution, and governance.
  • Emphasis on mortality and societal changes resulting from ideologies of war, peace, and governance.