The Annexation Of Eastern Europe In The Early 1900s

The unconditional support from alliances can be blamed to cause World War I. The nature of the alliances is laid out in the alliance document. The alliances stipulated assistance and contribution of the signing parties in the event of conflict. It can extend from money or logistic sponsorship, similar to the supply of materials or weapons, to military activation and a statement about war. Partnerships might likewise contain currency components, for example, trade agreements, investment or loans. It is best known to cause World War I. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European nations formed, abolished, or restructured their own alliances. By 1914, the Great Powers of Europe split into two opposing alliance blocs. For quite a long time Europe had been a mixture of ethnic and regional competitions, political interests, contending desires, military dangers, suspicions and disorder. France and England were antiquated foes whose competition ejected into open fighting a few times between the fourteenth and mid nineteenth hundreds of years.

WWI. This tension was caused by the threat Pan-Slavism posed on Austria-Hungary due to its high Slavic population and its recent annexation of Bosnia Herzegovina. Another tension-builder was that Russia, a Slavic nation and a super-power at the time, was fully supporting this movement, thereby indirectly challenging Austria-Hungary

Bismarck’s alliance system brought peace between the European countries. (Stewart, Fitzgerald, Pickard 12) His alliance system starts with a treaty with Austria-Hungary who was one of the 5 powers in Europe. In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary signed the Dual Alliance, which was planned as a merely defensive arrangement or military alliance. Both governments promised that they should help or remain neutral when other powerful countries such as Russia or France attack. (Stewart, Fitzgerald, Pickard 13) The second allied country was with Italy. In 1882, Bismarck turns Dual Alliance into Triple Alliance by making Italy to join in his alliance system. Since Italy had close friendship with Great Britain, although Italy was not a strong military nation, it was an influential part of the Alliance. And at the same time, Great Britain and Germany had conflict in North Africa on colonial aspiration. Therefore, it was the perfect time to be an ally with her to isolate France. (Stewart, Fitzgerald, Pickard 14) Making Great Britain as a close friend was a benefit for Germany. Bismarck’s next target to isolate France was Russia. In 1881, the Dreikaiserbund was made a treaty, which was the agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia promising not to help the fourth power, France. However in 1884, this treaty had renewed and Russia refused to renew her membership in Dreikaiserbund. Then Bismarck discussed the Reinsurance Treaty with

During the year 1879 to 1914 many alliances were signed between countries and it meant that the countries were pledged to help each other in war if one of their allies declared war. The details of these alliances is such as:

The political/geographic situation in Europe at the beginning of World War I was full of conflict and strife with nations already seeped in rivalry and hatred, bidding for power with military might and seeking to obtain it no matter what the cost or how much human life it would take to attain. Alliances are formed in a amalgamation of shared hatred for equal enemies and desire for power , Europe is abound with chaos. European borders seem to be ever changing like that of a snaking river. Austria-Hungary is full of minorities each vying for its own independence and country. Germany and France have an undying enmity for one another. Russia also hated by the Germans is seeking to protect its interests in the Balkans,while creating alliances with France and England. The continent is as a sleeping volcano waiting to erupt in a violent cataclysm of war and destruction with its epicenter between Serbia and Austria-hungry, pulling each of its respected allies into the First world war. It seems every country has some disposition towards another country over disputes not its own but of its allies. The great powers of Europe came to War after The Archdukes assassination in response to each of its respected allies becoming engulfed in a conflict between the Serbian people and Austrian-hungry nation. With both sides drawings in their alliances made prior to the war initial beginning like a domino effect, reigniting flames on animosity. Germany declaring war on Russia soon after, siding

Though it may sound heartless and selfish, the needs and aims of countries usually are the primary factor controlling their foreign relations. During the period of the czars, from 1547 to 1917, Russia’s need for land and modernization shaped its relationships with Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire, causing Russia’s leaders to respect and imitate Western Europe while competing with the European powers to fill the power vacuum of the failing Ottoman Empire.

All of these countries were well-off, Britain especially, with the Industrial Revolution increasing exports and Imperialism producing resources needed to keep their economy superior to other countries. In the middle of this alliance, there lay another. It consisted of Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. The Balkans to the south were considered neutral territory in 1914 (Document A), but the peoples of these lands were vastly unhappy. One such people were the Serbians. Now, the Serbians were not happy with how their lives were, and dreamed of revolution. So, a group known as The Black Hand devised a plan that they believed would bring the change they wanted to Serbia; killing the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Now when this happened, Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Serbia. However, when this did this, they alerted the Triple Entente. Russia, which was tied to the Triple Entente, was on good terms with Serbia. And so Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary, which causes Germany to join in, and invade Belgium. And so Britain, who was a friend of Belgium, declared war on Germany, and then France joined because England joined. So, in effect, because of one assassination, because of one death, all of Europe bursted into a long, bloody engagement in which ten million people

The formation of alliances has significant impact on certain countries. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand signalled the rapid side in the world war, therefore this wasn’t the only cause that occurred there were other underlying causes in the rumor up of the World War there was imperialism, nationalism, even militarism the war lasted through four years of 1914-1918. It ended with 10 million men dead and 20 million wounded. In the same year the Austria-Hungary has formed an alliance in 1914, therefore the country made a triple alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and that Germany one day would worry that they have to fight in a war. On Wednesday, August 5 1914, in document B, there was a cartoon that was published that was called “The Crime Of The Ages”, and was made by John T. MChueton his point of view that all of countries have started a war which made a lead in militarism. The underlying world tragedy cause assassination, grief and diseases.

As a result of their aggressive foreign policy and expansionism plans, by 1912 Germany found herself surrounded by hostile countries. The Kaiser and leading military leaders held a war cabinet meeting to discuss “how to get out of this mess”. It was decided that as they were surrounded by hostile countries that they would need an ally to help fight their way out. The decision to ally with Austria rather than Russia is what led to the signing of the “Blank Cheque” of support for Austria[6]. It was also decided that if a war happened that it would most likely be in the Balkans, and that the sooner it happened the better because if Russia had more time they could become too strong to defeat, and as their

The 20th century in Europe was filled with war and revolution along with political and economical change. The destruction caused by World War II remained prominent in eastern European countries even years after the war ended in 1945. For years the Soviet Union fought for communism while NATO did everything they could to prevent it. Although communism slowly released its grip on the eastern European countries in the late 20th century, western countries still looked down upon these ex-communistic states. After reading the memoir “Café Europa: Life After Communism.” by Slavenka Drakulic, one can infer that not only were the people of Eastern Europe a bit eager to assimilate and conform to Western culture but also there was a sense of dominance

The alliance system, which at that time was used to prevent any war, has caused this huge war when Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia, and making it ineluctable. This proves that the blank cheque that was given to Austria was reasonable, for Austria was Germany’s ally, and as allies, they should support each other. The same was done with Russia with countries in the Balkans. As Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia, Russia mobilizes her army and prepares her troops to help the Serbs to protect themselves from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Germany,

23 July 1905, Tsar Nicholas of Russia had come close to forming an alliance with Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, but a prior agreement with France and Russian desire to avoid upsetting their ally led to denial of the treaty by officials in St. Petersburg. Convinced that Germany could drive a wedge between the Entente powers, Berlin demanded an international conference in Algeciras, as promised by the treaty of 1881. Initially, the Germans were sure that Britain would not intervene in a dispute regarding Morocco, but France gave compensation deals to Britain, Italy, and Spain, and promised more money to Russia for support in the Algeciras conference held January 1906. Not only was the Entente proven stronger than Germany had initially thought, historian Christopher Clark also argues that ‘the uselessness of the Triple Alliance [between Austria, Italy, and Germany] was revealed for all to see.’ Not only did actions taken by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the First Moroccan Crisis of 1905 not have the desired effect of pushing apart the Entente powers, they led to a stronger connection between France and Britain, Italy, Spain, and Russia, impacted the European view of Germany negatively, and isolated Germany and Austria

First, Principles of International Politics by Bruce and Mesquita have clearly highlighted the fundamental differences between two types of alliances: bilateral and multilateral alliances (Mesquita & Bruce, 2003). The article defines bilateral alliances as relationships between two states and gives an example of America- alliance that was signed after the World War II, as a notable model of this specific configuration. Conversely, the article defines multilateral alliances as agreements that involve more than two states, for example, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that consists of 19 countries, as of 2002 and consistently expanding (Hemmer, & Katzenstein,

As a direct consequence of liberalism proliferating throughout Europe, the ideology of foreign self-determination and nationalism became an integral component in European-Ottoman relations , as the latter was an entity comprised of myriad cultural and linguistic aggregates with the existence of socio-religious supremacy within the administrative hierarchy as opposed to regional representation. Due to the exposed nature of the Ottoman Empire’s infrastructural instability, the European ‘Great Powers’ were the recipients of extraordinary influence in regards to the governance and status of composite states within the Empire, a capacity frequently utilized when stability of the Middle East and Eastern Europe was politically tentative. The negotiations between European powers and the Ottoman Empire were not inherently bellicose, and occasionally resulted in outcomes perceived as beneficial by the Ottoman Empire (the Crimean War being an exemplary reference), though the notion that agreements consistently were of enhanced benefit to the European nations became progressively more transparent within the governing body of the Ottoman Empire; naturally, this results in the development of perpetual incredulity concerning all international diplomacy with the European powers, specifically the British Empire, the French Empire, the Russian Empire, and the Austrian Empire . The German Empire, established posterior to the influx of Central Balkan Wars of Nationalism, possessed reduced

The Balkan Peninsula, or the Balkans, is a peninsula and a cultural area in Southeastern Europe with various and disputed borders. It is often analyzed by its sub-regions, including northern, western, eastern and southern European areas. Many of these areas are highly developed, but some are also currently experiencing economic, political and / or social problems. However, two particular nations in Balkans illustrates this paradox quite effectively. These two countries are Albania and Romania, and these are nations that have realized their potential in most ways, yet today they are facing significant economic and socio-political issues. The two nations are both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.