Armed Peace, World War I, and Interwar Europe

Posted on Mar 8, 2025 in History

Armed Peace (1890-1914)

The period from 1890 to 1914 is known as the “Armed Peace.” It was characterized by the division of European powers into two opposing blocs:

  • Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
  • Triple Entente: France, Russia, and Great Britain

This division was fueled by an intense arms race and several underlying tensions:

  • Germany’s ambition to become a major European power, putting it at odds with Great Britain and France.
  • The Austro-Hungarian and Russian rivalry over influence in the Balkans.
  • Italy’s desire for colonial expansion.
  • Austria joined the Triple Alliance due to shared language, culture, and tradition with Germany.

World War I (1914-1918)

Causes

  • Distant Causes: Colonial interests outside Europe and territorial disputes within Europe, particularly in the Balkans.
  • Immediate Cause: The assassination of the crown prince of Austria by a Serbian anarchist, which triggered the existing alliance system and led to a generalized war in Europe.

Development

  • 1914 – War of Movements: Germany launched surprise attacks on France, almost reaching Paris. France called for help from Russia. German soldiers then launched an offensive against Russia.
  • 1914-1917 – War of Positions: Armies dug in, defending conquered territories. Major battles resulted in heavy losses but little territorial gain.
  • 1917 – Reactivation of the War:
    • The United States entered the war as an ally of the Triple Entente, sending a million soldiers.
    • Germany sank US ships.
    • Russia, undergoing the Russian Revolution, signed a peace treaty with Germany, ceding territory. This reduced the German front.
  • 1918 – Final Offensive: Germany attempted a final offensive but was defeated by France and its allies. The Triple Entente won the war.

Consequences

  • Human: Many deaths and injuries, leading to a decreased workforce, lower birth rates, and a surplus of women.
  • Economic and Social: Wartime economies struggled to return to normal. Factories and fields were destroyed. Women joined the workforce, taking the place of men.
  • Political:
    • The Peace of Paris, a series of treaties, formally ended the war.
    • The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh conditions on Germany: demilitarization of the Rhineland, war reparations, and a reduction of its army to 100,000 men. Germany was not accepted into the League of Nations until 1925.
    • The Russian Revolution led to the rise of social democratic parties.
    • The United States emerged as the leading world power.
    • A new map of Europe was drawn:
      • Germany lost territory to Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Hungary.
      • Austria-Hungary was divided into Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
      • Serbia and Montenegro united and expanded, taking land from Austria-Hungary to form Yugoslavia.

Interwar Period and Rise of Dictatorships

The US government’s New Deal involved public intervention to combat unemployment, increase sales, boost industrial production, and reopen factories. This helped to isolate Russia.

Political Situation in Europe (1919-1938)

Democracy initially prevailed in 1919, but by 1938, dictatorships had taken hold. This shift occurred due to several factors:

  • The economic crisis, which democratic regimes struggled to solve quickly.
  • The rise of universal suffrage, leading to increased worker participation and votes for left-wing parties that proposed eliminating private property. This, in turn, led the bourgeoisie to vote for far-right parties.
  • The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles (for Germany) and Italy’s dissatisfaction with its rewards.