1 A TOUGH START TO THE 20th

CENTURY. THE FIRST WORLD WAR

 1. WHAT LED THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
At the beginning of the 20th centyry, tensions between European countries.
- Germany wanted to create a colonial empire
- France and the UK feared the German expansion
- France and German were confronted by Alsace-Lorrain ( desire of revenge)
- Tha Austro-Hungarian and Russia for the control of the Balkans
- The economic rivalry between between Germany and the UK
The formation of blocs

Germany chancellor Otto Von Bismarck created an alliance system with two min
objectives:
- To isolate France
- To maintain equilibrium in the Balkans
The German emperor Wilhem II favoured a more aggresisive policy ARMED PEACE
-Triple Alliance ( Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy)
- Triple Entente ( france, the UK and Russia)

Everty country increased the size of its army arms race

The crisis in Morocco

Colonialism was a source of conflicts. Wilhem II ( German emperor) spoke in favour of

Moroccan independence against France. Algeciras Conference solved the situation.

Later, Morocco became a Hispano-French protectorate ( what is a protectorate?), and the

alliance between The Uk and France was stregthened. This was the opposite of what
Wilhem II desired.
The Eastern Question

The Ottoman Empire was collapsing and Austria and Russia hoped increase their influence
in the region ( what were the different positions in Balkans?)
 2. THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
The trigger: the crisis of the summer of 1914

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo. In

response, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia but
Serbia rejected some parts. 28th July 1914 Austra-Hungary
declared war on Serbia.

Russia supported Serbia against Austro Hungary

Germany declared war on Russia
France and the Uk declared war on Germany and Austria Hungary

The IWW had begun

A truly global war

Two large blocs confornted ach other:

- The Central powers ( countries?)
- The Triple Entente (countries)

- The two blocs sought new allies, which led to the globalisation of the conflict
- Total War ( what’s the meaning)
 3. THE COURSE OF THE WAR
War of movement (1914)

At he beginning of the war Schlieffen Plan to defeate France quickly, but the plan
falied Battle of Marne

Trench warfare, or war of positions ( 1915-1916)

Trenches were built.

- The western front Battle of Verdun and Battle of Somme
- The Eastern front This front was stable
- The Mediterranean and the Middle East British were defeated in Gallipoli
- Other theatres Colonies were involved. Submarine warfare.

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aguiEHJCyEA
The end of the war

1917, two events changed the course of the war.

- The Russian frotn collapsed Brest-Litovsk peace treaty

- UUSS entered the war ( Why?)

The central power surrendered and Germany signed the armistice.

 5. PEACE AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF
WAR
The Paris Peace Conference

- The Treaty of Versailles with Germany

- The Treaty of Saint-Germain with Austria
- -The Treaty of Trianon with Hungary
- -The Treaty of Sevres with Turkiye
- The Treaty of Neully with Bulgaria
The treaties had three main goals:

- To prevent the resurgence of Germany as a great power:

- It lost its colonies
- It had to pay a war reparations
- It had to limit its army
-To achieve a balance of power among the victors

-To isolate Russia in order to avoid the spread of revolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYhLNQMRro
The creation of the League of Nations

In 1919, the League of Nations was created.

US president Wilson wrote his 14 points.
The objective was maintain the peace a resolve conflicts peacefully. Germany, Russia
and USA did not join the League.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbdhxLVlrhI
Demographic consequences

More than 8 million soldiers died, a further 20 million were injured. Also many civilian
deaths, and the lack of food and poor health services facilitated the spread of a flu
pandemic in 1918 that caused 22 million deaths.

This led to a drop in the birth rate reduction in the working population fewer
consumers
 1905, THE ORIGINS OF THE RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION
Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century

Russia was an enormous empire.

Its political system was one of the most authoritanrian in Europe Absolute
Monarchy. Although it was a parliamento ( Duma)
Russia’s economy was mainly agrarian.
At he end of the 19th century, a slow industrialisation had begun.

There were clandestine political parties:

Russian Social-Democratic Worker’s Party, It was formed by Mensheviks and

Bolsheviks

Constitutional Democratic Party They wanted to become a constitutional monarchy

Socialist Revolutionary Party The belived that peasants were the true revolutionary
force.
The Revolution of 1905

In 1905 Russian started a war against Japan. Thart was the trigger of Revolution of 1905

Crowds marche to Sain Petesburg and demanded improved living conditions. The violent
repressed was known as a Bloody Sunday

Peasants and workers met in soviets ( popular assemblies) The main soviet was in
Petrogrado and was led by Trostky

The tsar published The October Manifesto where he made a few concessions, but finally
he didn’t do any reforms
 7. THE REVOLUTIONS OF 1917 AND THE
RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR
The Revolution of February 1917

Russian joined the I WW, but military defeated led to discintent. The Revolution of
1917 began.

A general strik was followed by the abdication of Tsar. A new provisional govern was
formad and it was lead by Keresnsky.
There were two powers: the porvisional government and the soviets. The government
decided to remain in I WW and Mensheviks and Bolsheviks demanded inmediate
peace.

Lenin published his April Theses:

. Russian withdrawal from the war
- Redistribution of land
A government of soviets

Kerensky
The provisional government

There were two powers: the soviets and the provisional government.
Lenin wanted to move from the bourgeoisie revolution to a socialist revolution.
He published his April Theses
- Russian withdrawal from the war
- Redistribution the land
- A government of the soviets ( All the power for the soviets)
The Revolution of October 1917

Lenin reurned form the exile. The Soviets, controlled by the Bolsheviks took the
Winter Palace and detained the provisional government. The October Revolution had
begun.

A new government was formed ( Council of People’s Commisars)

- It withdrew Russian from the war ( Traty of Brest-Litovsk)
- Expropriation ( lands and factories) from that moment were controlled by workers
and peasentry

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Cqbleas1mmo

https://
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=b1reY72ktEc