The Rise and Fall of Empires: A Look at the World Wars and Their Impact

Posted on Jun 18, 2024 in History

Militarism

Militarism is the creation of armed forces to prepare for war. Many European countries were very proud and wanted to defend themselves as best they could. This led to an arms race, with each country trying to build a more powerful military than its rivals.

Alliances

An alliance is an agreement between countries to defend or fight together. Germany strengthened its armed forces to defend itself against other countries. Some notable alliances of the time include:

  • British-Belgian Alliance
  • The Triple Entente
  • The Triple Alliance

Imperialism

Imperialism is the belief that a country should build an empire and control less powerful countries. Many European countries made agreements or promises to help each other if a third country was involved. Some key events related to imperialism include:

  • Need for markets
  • The Schlieffen Plan
  • Bosnian Crisis
  • Balkan Wars
  • Gardid Crisis
  • Austrian Ambitions
  • Franco-Prussian War

Nationalism

Nationalism is pride in one’s country, with people who want to govern or defend themselves. After unification, Germany wanted to build its own empire. Nationalism played a significant role in the following events:

  • Bosnian Crisis
  • Balkan Wars
  • Russian Ambitions
  • Franco-Prussian War

World War I

The Great War

Spain was neutral in World War I, but the majority of Basques were in favor of France, and about 300 Basques from the south of the Iberian Peninsula participated in the war as volunteers in the French Foreign Legion. The war was also very positive for the Biscayan industry, which sold ships and weapons to the combatants.

Trench Warfare

At the end of 1914, the armies of both sides were paralyzed in trench warfare, which lasted until 1917. The Western Front advanced only 32 km in four years. Thousands of soldiers spent weeks in the trenches in very bad conditions.

Uniforms

In World War I, the British Army changed its red uniforms to khaki ones in response to new technology. Smokeless powder and aerial reconnaissance were making soldiers’ visibility a real problem on the battlefield.

Recruitment

The First World War was fought mainly by conscript armies with millions of citizen soldiers. Its origins are in the French Revolution when the first modern force was built on the idea that all male citizens had a duty to take up arms in defense of their nation. Prussia systematized the military model and developed a new form of short-term universal conscription in peacetime.

In January 1916, the first Military Service Act was passed in Britain as the number of volunteers for the armed forces began to dry up in the second half of 1915. Military service was compulsory for the first time for single men between 18 and 41 years old in England, Scotland, and Wales. Exempted were those who performed jobs essential to the war effort, were medically incapacitated, or were conscientious objectors. It was later extended to married men, and the age limit was raised to 50 years old.

The End of World War I

The Great War was different for several reasons. The main difference was the number of casualties, both military and civilian, in a relatively short period. It was the bloodiest conflict in human history.

  • In Europe alone, 500 million people were directly or indirectly affected; 10 million died, and 30 million were injured or disabled. France, for example, lost 50% of its men between 20 and 23 years old. Widows, orphans, and invalids numbered in the millions.
  • In 1918, most people believed there would never be another war like this. So people’s attitudes changed a lot since 1914. They didn’t see the war as a great adventure.
  • The Allied powers met at Versailles to decide the key issues surrounding the First World War. They had to decide who caused the war, who should pay (reparations), and what would happen to Germany, Austria-Hungary, and indeed all of Europe.

Consequences of World War I

Demographic/Social Consequences

  • 9 million soldiers and about 7 million civilians died during the war.
  • A total of 25 million people died from the Spanish flu.
  • Russia suffered the most deaths of any country.
  • The attitude of the people of Europe changed because the vision of war changed drastically.

Economic Consequences

  • In the Treaty of Versailles, it was decided that Germany would pay for the war reparations.
  • Towns and cities were completely destroyed, and Germany had to pay for them, resulting in significant inflation in Germany.
  • Germany also lost some industrial territories, so the resources to rebuild the country were limited.
  • The German army was reduced to 100,000 men and prohibited from having an air force to prevent future aggression.

Political Consequences

  • Great empires were dissolved (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empires).
  • New countries were born (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Austria, Hungary, etc.).
  • The German colonies were divided between France and Great Britain.
  • The League of Nations was created in 1920, similar to today’s NATO, to guarantee peace in the world.

Causes of World War I

  • Militarism: To conquer new colonies, European countries tried to create the best army possible. Then there was a race. The more industrialized the country is, the better the army. Germany had a powerful military that was the envy of the United Kingdom.
  • Alliances: Traditional empires (France, Great Britain) versus new nations (Germany):
    • Triple Entente: Great Britain, France, Russia (1915, Italy joined)
    • Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (Italy left this alliance before 1917), Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey)
  • Nationalism: Before the First World War, there were two types of nationalism:
    • Great empires: Citizens were proud of their nation for being the most powerful country in the world.
    • Small nations were part of larger empires, and they desired independence. For example, in nations such as the Slovak nation.

The war began when Serbian nationalists assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

The Spanish Civil War

Political Landscape

In 1931, the left-wing won the first elections, and Manuel Azaña became the first president of the Republic. The right-wing opposed the government and formed an alliance, creating a new political party called CEDA, which won the second elections in 1933. This led to revolts by left-wing institutions. In 1936, the left-wing parties created the Popular Front, which won the elections against the National Front. This led to General Francisco Franco’s coup d’etat and the start of the Spanish Civil War.

Key Battles and Events

The Battle of Madrid

  • When: August 1936 to March 1937
  • Where: Madrid surroundings
  • Who: Nationalists (Franco) vs. Republicans
  • Relevance: The Republicans won this battle and resisted until the end of the war, maintaining control of Madrid, the capital of the Republic.

The Northern Front

  • When: March 1937 – October 1937
  • Where: Bizkaia, Cantabria, Asturias
  • Who: Nationalists vs. Republicans & Eusko Gudarostea (Basque Army)
  • Relevance: This area was an industrial area, so they could manufacture weapons. The Basque Country sought autonomy during the war.

The Battle of the Ebro

  • When: July 1938 – November 1938
  • Where: Lower course of the Ebro River
  • Who: Nationalists vs. Republicans
  • Relevance: The bloodiest battle of the war, it would be the Republican’s last great opportunity to turn the tide.

Constitution of the Basque Government and the Eusko Gudarostea

  • When: October 7, 1936
  • Where: Basque Country (Araba, Vizcaya, Gipuzkoa)
  • Who: José Antonio Aguirre
  • Relevance: José Antonio Aguirre was named the first Lehendakari (President) of the Basque Country and created a heterogeneous government. After some battles, in the summer of 1937, the Basque Government went into exile.

Franco Proclaimed Leader

  • When: October 1, 1936
  • Where: Burgos
  • Who: Francisco Franco, right-wing general
  • Relevance: All political and military power on the Nationalist side belonged to Franco, consolidating his dictatorship.

The End of the War

  • When: April 1, 1939
  • Where: Spain
  • Who: The Republicans surrendered and handed power to the Nationalists.
  • Relevance: This marked the end of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalists, led by Franco, took power, and Spain entered a period of dictatorship.

Causes of the Spanish Civil War

Political Causes

  • Political instability due to the different types of government (monarchy, republic, and dictatorship) since the 19th century.
  • Conflict between centralist and regional powers.
  • The army’s attempts to suppress any attempts at regional autonomy.

Social Causes

  • The Church’s significant influence in politics and education.
  • High illiteracy rates, mostly in rural areas, due to limited access to education.
  • Social underdevelopment in Spain.
  • Repression against those who opposed the government.

Economic Causes

  • Widespread poverty due to:
    1. Unequal land distribution, with wealthy landowners controlling most of the land and not utilizing it efficiently.
    2. Late industrialization: Most of Spain was not industrialized before the Civil War.
    3. Reliance on the primary sector (agriculture), which resulted in poverty for many families.
  • The global impact of the 1929 stock market crash, which severely affected Spain’s economy.

Consequences of the Spanish Civil War

Social Consequences

Atrocities were committed on both sides during the war. The Nationalist side, under Franco’s orders, carried out systematic executions and purges to eliminate political opponents. After the war, brutal reprisals were enacted against the defeated Republicans.

Economic Consequences

The war devastated Spain’s economy. An estimated 10-15% of the country’s wealth was destroyed, and per capita income in 1939 was 28% lower than in 1935.

Political Consequences

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The political system changed and became Franco’s dictatorship. And all the Republic’s reforms concerning the Church, social advances and land reform were abolished