Jana Skerlova žGreat powers at the end of the 19th century: ž USA - the strongest country of the world žGermany (2nd greatest world industrial area), the most powerful state in Europe, strong army, developed economy and culture žFrance – the bank of the world, 2nd strongest European state, succesful colonial politicis – colonies in Africa and in Asia žGreat Britain – the greatest colonial power – its domain included the geatest colony – India, also colonies in Asia žJapan – constitutional monarchy, development of industry, expansive politics žAustria-Hungary – cooperation with Germany, its foreign politics focused on the Balkan Peninsula žRussia – economicaly and politicaly the weakest state among the great powers, military-political system, absolute power of the Tsar, no political rights for citizens, social movement, expansion to Asia – conflicts with Japan and Great Britain žOttoman Empire – „the sick man of Europe“ – weakening of its political and economical power during 18th and 19th century ž map 24.1 the ottoman and russian empires, 1829-1914.jpg žOttoman Empire – large but weak – the local national movements and wanted to use it and tried to liberate themselves žTwo uprisings in Serbia during the first half of 19th century ž1830 – internal autonomy of Serbia was recognized by the Ottoman Empire ž1821–1830 – Greek war for independence ž1828–1829 – Russo-Turkish war – Ottoman Empire was defeated, Russia supported Greek demands ž1832 – the independent Greek Kingdom was established ž1858 – after the Crimean war the Great powers supported the demands of Danubian Principalities (Walachia and Moldavia) – these two principalities gained authonomy and in 1861 were unified into the autonomous Romanian state, after that in 1881 the independent Romanian Kingdom was established ž ž ž ž ž ž1875–1878 – Great Eastern Crisis žStarted in 1875 with the uprising of ethnic Serbs against Ottoman Empire in Herzegovina žApril 1976 – the uprosing in Bulgaria against Ottoman Empire žSerbia amd Montenegro supported this uprising → Serbo-Turkish War (1876–1878) ž1977–1978 – Russo-Turkish war - Russia was more succesfull but under the pressure of Great Britain and France had to accept the truce offered by the Ottoman Empire žPeace Treaty of San Stefano from March 3rd – the Ottoman Empire recognized full independence of Serbia, Romania and Montenegro and the authonomy of Bulgaria žAlarmed by the extension of Russian power into the Balkans the Great Powers (Breat Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) claimed the Berlin Congress, held from June to July 1878 in German capital city. žOtto von Bismarck was the host of the Congress. žIts aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans and to stabilize the territory. žThe great powers had their own interests in the Balkans. žOttoman holdings in Europe declined sharply. žBulgaria was established as an autonomous principality inside the Ottoman Empire, then after the Serbo-Bulgarian war in 1885 (Bulgaria won) the independent Bulgarian Principality was established žRomania, Serbia and Montenegro achieved the full independence – at was recognized by the Great powers žMacedonia – was returned outright to the Turks, who promised reforms žBosnia and Herzegovina was taken over by Austria-Hungary žCyprus was taken over by Great Britain žMany countries were dissastisfied with the results of the Berlin Congress. ž ž ž ž ž ž ž ž žThe great power were affraid of each other so they tried to find the allies žThey also wanted territorial gains ž1879 – the secret agreement was concluded between Germany and Austria-Hungary – against France and Russia ž1882 – Italy joined this pact → Tripple Alliance (later the Central Powers) ž1893 – Russia and France made an agreement – they both were isolated and were affraid of strong and aggresive Germany ž1904 – so called Entente Cordial between France and Great Britain was concluded (both countries were affraid of strong Germany) ž1907 – Russia + Britain → Tripple Entente ž balkans1.jpg žthe first conflict in Europe after 30 years žthe Balkan nations were fighting against the Ottoman Empire which was still occupiing some parts of the Balkan Peninsula ž1912–1913 - 1st Balkan War žso called Balkan League (Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro) against the Ottomans žthe Ottoman Empire was defeated and its European areas were liberated žbut then the former allies started to fight with each other because of deviding of the liberated areas, žBulgaria had greatest war casualties and invested the most but the deliberated areas (Macedonia, Thrakia) got especially Greece and Serbia → Bulgaria was dissatisfied and declared war on Greece and Serbia → a new war broke out ž2nd Balkan War – 1913 žTurkey and Rumania joined Greece and Serbia and they were fighting against Bulgaria which was defeated and lost also the areas which obtained after the ž 1st Balkan War žbut also Serbia was dissatisfied with the results of the wars (Serbia was expecting enlargement of its territory and wanted to raise Adriatic coast but instead of that Albania was formed by the Great powers in 1913) žSerbia started to prepair for the new war – wanted tu unify all the southern Slavs – also those who were living in Austria-Hungary ž žThe Balkans before the 1st Balkan War žThe Balkans after the 2nd Balkan War jv evropa 1908.gif jv evropa 1914.gif žSince the Crimean War (1853–1856) there was a period without a great war in Europe (only local conflicts) žThe tensions persisted on the Balkan Peninsula (1908 – the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, 1912–1913 the Balkan Wars etc.) žPacifist movement - peace conferences in Hague (1898 and 1907) - unsuccessful ž žtwo blocks of powers at the beginning of the war: žEntente (Allied Powers): Great Britain + France + Russia žCentral Powers: Germany + Austria-Hungary + (later) Bulgaria + Turkey ž žItaly – firstly neutral, in May 1915 joined the Entente (the London Treaty in April 1915 promised territorial gains to Italy) žneutral countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Albania žUSA – neutral at the beginning of the war, entered the war in April 1917 ž žGermany – the most agresive, wanted new colonies and wanted to expand to the Middle East (Berlin-Baghdad railroad), also wanted to rule in the Central, Eastern and South-East Europe (with the help of Austria-Hungary), Germany also wanted some areas in France and Belgium žAustria-Hungary – wanted to expand into the Balkan Peninsula and defeat the Kingdom of Serbia, which was independent, Serbia was the enemy for A-H also becauce of Bosnia and Herzegovina žFrance – wanted to get back Alsace and Loraine from Germany + keep its colonial domains žRussia – wanted Galicia (which was Austro-Hungarian province in those times), Silesia, and some parts of Balkan Peninsula, especially around the straits between Asia and Europe - Bosphorus and Dardanelles žSerbia – wanted to keep its independence and to form the Balkan federation – with Croats, Slovenes and Serbs living in Austria and Hungary žGreat Britain – wanted to keep its colonies and exclude Germany from world trade, stop its expansion to the Middle East žUSA – wanted to defend democracy in the world and the principle of self-determination of the nations (Woodrow Wilson) ž žThe blocs of Powers žduring the WW I Europe1914.gif františek_ferdinand.jpg žthe pretext for starting the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 žFranz Ferdinand was shoot by a Serbian nacionalist and terrorist Gavrilo Princip – his group „Mlada Bosna“ was probably supported by Serbian government žAustria-Hungary to Serbia the July Ultimatum – a series of ten demands that were intentionally made unacceptable to provoke a war with Serbia žJuly 28, 1918 – Austria-Hungary declared the war on Serbia ž žThe video from Sarajevo: http://www.firstworldwar.com/video/ferdinand.htm ž qAugust – December 1914 – offensive operations ž q1915–1916 – trench warfare ž q1917–1918 – the era of total exhaustion ž qMarch 1918 –November 1918 – supremacy of Allied Powers (USA entered the war in April 1917) ž žGerman soldiers on the way to the Western front in 1914. German_soldiers_in_a_railroad_car_on_the_way_to_the_front_during_early_World_War_I,_taken_in_1914._ Taken_from_greatwar.nl_site.jpg žBalkan front (Balkan Peninsula, firstly in Serbia, then in Greece) žWestern front (against France) žEastern front (against Russia) žItalian front ž žalso naval war (in the Pacific Ocean – Japan + Great Britain against Germany, in the Nothern Sea – Great Britain against Germany) žwarfare in the colonies ž žthe Germans attacked France according to the so called Schlieffen Plan - designed to attack France quickly through neutral Belgium žGreat Britain declared war on Germany because of breaking Belgic neutrality žthe German troops were stopped at the First Battle of Marne in September 1914 – the offensive war changed into the trench warfare žMarch 1915 – the second Battle of Ypres – the Germans used chlorine gas – 15 thousands of men were poisoned žfrom February till September 1916 – bloody battle of Verdun – 600 thousands of casualties, žfrom July till November 1916 the great battle of the Somme - totally 1 million casualties during the whole battle, the new British invention was used – the tanks ž žMemoirs & Diaries - The German Gas Attack at Ypres, April 1915 ž„Utterly unprepared for what was to come, the [French] divisions gazed for a short while spellbound at the strange phenomenon they saw coming slowly toward them. Like some liquid the heavy-coloured vapour poured relentlessly into the trenches, filled them, and passed on. žFor a few seconds nothing happened; the sweet-smelling stuff merely tickled their nostrils; they failed to realize the danger. Then, with inconceivable rapidity, the gas worked, and blind panic spread. žHundreds, after a dreadful fight for air, became unconscious and died where they lay - a death of hideous torture, with the frothing bubbles gurgling in their throats and the foul liquid welling up in their lungs. With blackened faces and twisted limbs one by one they drowned - only that which drowned them came from inside and not from out. žOthers, staggering, falling, lurching on, and of their ignorance keeping pace with the gas, went back. žA hail of rifle fire and shrapnel mowed them down, and the line was broken. There was nothing on the British left - their flank was up in the air. The northeast corner of the salient around Ypres had been pierced. From in front of St. Julien away up north toward Boesinghe there was no one in front of the Germans.“ ž žSource: Source Records of the Great War, Vol. III, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923 žhttp://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/gasattackatypres.htm ž žThe Second Battle of Ypres žThe Battle of the Somme fww0828.jpg Battle-of-the-Somme.jpg žAustrian army was not succesful in Serbia žSeptember 1915 – Bulgaria entered the war žduring October and November 1915 German-Austrian and Bulgarian troops occupied Serbia žSerbian army had to be evacuated from Serbian territory – during the winter it crossed the mountains via Albania to Adriatic coast žSerbian government in exile – the Isle of Corfu žin spring 1915 – the Allied Powers prepared the operation in Gallipoli against Turkey, žBritish troops under the command of Winston Churchill were participating on this operation but it was not successful žJanuary 1916 – Austria attacked the Serbian ally Montenegro žthen in 1916 the Macedonian Front in Greece was opened žThe Allied Army of the Orient (AAO) – the multi-national allied armed forces (French, Serbian, Italian, Russian, Greek troops) – fighting the Bulgarians and the Turks žthe Bulgarians were defeated in September 1918 žIn October 1918 – The Ottoman Empire asked for the armistice ž ž žThe Austrians are executing the captured Serbian soldiers in 1917 žThe retreat of the Serbian troops in the winter 1915/16 across a snowy mountain in Albania to Adriatic coast. 1280px-Austrians_executing_Serbs_1917.JPG Од_Пећи_ка_Андријевици.JPG žIn the east, Russia invaded East Prussia but was pushed back by German army at the series of battles colectively known as the Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914 žAlready in 1914 – the Czech Company in Russian Army – Legions (originally – the Czechs living in Russia, prisoners of war, volunteers) žTo eliminate the Russian threat the Central Powers began the campaign season of 1915 with the successful Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive in Galicia in May 1915 žsummer 1916 –the Russians were more succesful against Austria-Hungary in Galicia (today – western Ukraine) than against German troops in nothern part of the Eastern front ž 1916 – so called Brusilov offensive – it was a large tactical assault carried out by Russian forces against Austro-Hungarian forces in Galicia, it is considered to be the greatest Russian victory of the First World War ž1917 – the Czechoslovak Corps in Russia – from 38,000 to 70,000 of men žRussia occupied parts of Galicia and Bukovina žJuly 1917 – so called Kerensky offensive – the Battle of Zborov (Galicia) – Czechoslovak Legions won over the Austria-Hungary, the offensive was unsuccesfull for Russians žFall 1916 – Romania entered the war but its army was decimated by Austro-Hungarians and Germans in January 1917 ž1917 – Russian Revolutions žThe February Russian Revolution aimed to topple the Russian monarchy and resulted in the creation of the Provisional Government žThe October Revolution – the Bolshevics came to power – Vladimir Iljič Lenin žThe civil war succeded in Russia – Russia left the WW I – The Preace Treaty of Brest Litovsk in March 1918 žAfter the Russian Revolutions in 1917 the Czechoslovak Legions were fighting against the bolsheviks ž žThe German General Paul von Hindenburg at the Battle of Tannenberg. Bundesarchiv_Bild_103-121-018,_Tannenberg,_Hindenburg_auf_Schlachtfeld.jpg žItaly entered the war in April 1915 – the Allied Powers promised to Italy Istria with Trieste, Dalmacia and Trentino (Austro-Hungarian provinces), so Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary and later also on Germany žbut the Italians were not very succesful, their offensives along the Isonzo River were repelled by the Austro-Hungarians ž1917 – the Battle of Caporetto – Italian troops were defeated by Austro-Hungarian army and the front line was broken through, usage of poison gas žduring 1916 the front stabilized at the Piave River till 1918 – June 1918 – the Battle of the Piave River – participation of Czechoslovak Legions žthe Austro-Hungarians were defeated in October – the Battle of Vittorio Veneto – participation of Czechoslovak Legions again ž žAustrian Troops in Tyrol Mountains in Italian Front žThe Austro-Hungarian supply line over the Vršič pass, October 1917 Austro-Hungarian_mountain_corps.jpg Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1970-073-25,_Isonzo-Schlacht,_Trainkolonne_am_Moistroka-Pass.jpg žThe Czech lands were constituent part of Habsburg monarchy – no effort to destroy the monarchy till 1917/1918 žOnly a small conspiracy group called The Maffia wanted to destroy Austria-Hungary and establish the independent Czechoslovak state žcooperation with South Slavs from the Habsburg Monarchy ž žEmigrants – Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Edvard Beneš and Milan Rastislav Štefánik – 1915 – established The Czechoslovak National Council in Paris ž žarmy in abroad – Legions žThe Czechoslovak Legion fought with the Entente; žtheir goal was to win support for the independence of Czechoslovakia. ž1917 – The Legion in Russia was established, žin December 1917 in France (including volunteers from America) žin April 1918 in Italy žIn Russia, they were heavily involved in the Russian Civil War fighting the Bolsheviks, at times controlling most of the Trans-Siberian railway and conquering all major cities in Siberia. žduring 1918 the Czechoslovak Legions were de facto recognized as the allied army ž žMasaryk travelled around Europe (Geneve, Paris, London), to Russia (summer 1917) and to the USA – trying to win the support for the idea of independent Czechoslovak state žJanuary 1918 – The Fourteen Points of the US President Woodrow Wilson – the self-determination of the nations ž10th Point: The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development. žhttp://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson%27s_Fourteen_Points žJanuary 1918 – Czech politians in A-H – a demand of independence žJuly 1918 – The Czechoslovak National Comitee in Prague – Karel Kramář žOctober 1918 – the Emperor Charles I (1916–1918) offered the federalisation of Habsburg Monarchy but its nations refused it žOctober – the Czechoslovak National Council was reciognized by the Allied Powers as a provisional government ž ž žTomaš Garrigue Masaryk žEdvard Beneš tgm.jpg benes_edvard2.jpg žafter the Russian revolutions in 1917 Russia concluded separate peace with Germany in Brest Litevski in March 1918 žGeneral exhaustion – of sources, armies, people in real (lack of labour power – participation of women) ž žApril 1917 – USA declared war on Germany – originally USA persued the politics of non-interventions, but German submarines several times attacked merchant ships and civil ships with American passengers žThe United States were never formally a member of the Allies but became a self-styled "Associated Power" žAmerican troops came to Europe and after the great offensive of Allied Powers in summer 1918 the Central Powers collapsed very quickly žOn November 3, 1918 Austria–Hungary sent a flag of truce to ask for an Armistice and the armistice with Austira was signed in Vila Giusti near Padua žon November 11, 1918– an armistice with Germany signed in railroad carriage near Compiègne žat 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 a ceasefire came into effect ž žCasualties: v10 million of soldiers died v7 million of civilians died ž žThe map of Europe has changed: vdissolution of four monarchies (Russia, Austria-Hungary, German Empire and Otoman Empire) vafter dissolution of Austria-Hungary: constitution of 5 new states (Austrian Republic, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) vLatvia, Lithuania and Estonia was established, independent and unified Poland was renewed vhttp://www.the-map-as-history.com/demos/tome03/index.php ž žEconomic changes: vDevelopment of industry (iron and steel, textiles, etc.) and technologies(armament industry, automobiles, aircrafts …) vFirstly the in many countries the war prosperity, later economic depresse ž žSocial changes: vSocial radicalism – rise of totalitarism, revaschism etc. vSocial status of women has changed(sufrage) vMany veterans – problems with reintegration v ž ž žEurope after WW I žReadings and interesting web sites: ž qWWI: žhttp://www.firstworldwar.com žhttp://www.the-map-as-history.com/demos/tome03/index.php žhttp://www.gwpda.org/photos/greatwar.htm - The photo gallery ž q14 point of Woodrow Wilson: žhttp://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc_large_image.php?doc=62 ž qMacMILLAN, Margareth: Peacemakers Six Months That Changed the World: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War. žhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8uWgbRd8So ž qHENIG, Ruth B. (1995). Versailles and after, 1919-1933. 2nd ed. London: Routledge. ž žExhibitions: ž žThe Great War – http://velkavalka.cz/1914/english žMoravské zemské muzeum Brno – Moravian Land Museum (Dietrichstein Palace – The Green Market) žMuzeum města Brna – Brno City Museum (Spielberg Castle) ž ž ž