Ww1 Concise Revisable Notes.docx

Origins of World War 1 Relative strengths and weaknesses of powers by 1914 Germany o Had 40 battleships + 57 cruisers o Had foreign trade value of 1000 pounds (second largest) o Most concentrated railway network o Most steel production o Growth in military and industrial terms phenomenal – well educated o Missed out on imperial pickings o “challenge everybody, weaken nobody” o Threat to balance of power o Tech advanced state under divine rights monarchy

Austria Hungary o

o

11 nationalities + 46% slavs o Poor, acc. Pop o Army unifying inst but lil money for it had lots of potential enemies (Serbia, Russia, Italy)

ALLIANCE SYSTEM 1= HOW? 2= CONTRIBUTE TO STABILITY? 3= CAUSE OF WW1?

France + huge overseas emire + per capita basis industry impressive +impressive conscription +psychologically ready for war bc lots of alliances (R, Italy, Br)

BR + 64 battleships, 121 cruisers + biggest merchant fleet + 1200 Mpounds foreign trade (with empire) +good railway network + SO RICH SUCH Big NAVY

Russia + largest peacetime standing army + Russian steamroller army

+slow increase in pop +isolated by Bismarck for many years +third republic unstable changing govt +agro (Meline tariff supported inefficient farmers)

+ overstretched + abke to compromise territory to avoid conflict – no side taking

+ most railways except comm still bad +poorest +rapid pop growth + labour rich but tech poor + tsar Nicholas 2