Geopolitical Shifts and the Dawn of World War I

The Geopolitical Landscape Leading to World War I

Following the geopolitical shifts around 1898, new alternatives emerged for major powers: making agreements or engaging in conflict to attain hegemony and overseas expansion. Mexico held a strategic position for Germany due to its proximity to the U.S.

France and Russia were allied, prompting Germany to pressure France to abandon agreements regarding Morocco. In 1905, Germany sought an alliance with Russia, but due to Russia's ongoing internal problems, the alliance failed.

As Germany prepared for war, Britain protested. In June 1907, negotiations took place at The Hague, Netherlands, among the major powers to halt the escalating arms race. In August 1907, the Treaty of Friendship was signed. This agreement was intended to contain German expansionist policy.

The event that triggered the war took place on June 28, 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated along with his wife Sophie in Sarajevo by a Serb nationalist.

The Treaty of Versailles (1919)

On January 18, 1919, a series of peace conferences began in the Palace of Versailles, France. Leaders and foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan met there. The leader of the meetings was Woodrow Wilson, whose main focus was global peace and stability. The Treaty was officially signed on June 28, 1919.

Conditions Leading to the Russian Revolution

Socio-Economic Factors

• Most of the population lived in poverty and was subjected to bondage by the aristocracy.
• Agricultural technology was poor, severely limiting crop yields. Farmers were forced to work without benefits.
• The aristocracy was the ruling class and immensely wealthy.
• At the beginning of the twentieth century, a quasi-feudal economic system persisted.
• There was virtually no middle class.
• The populace endured extreme winter weather, sometimes reaching -40 degrees Celsius, which often paralyzed economic activity.

Political Structure

• The government was an absolute monarchy (Tsarist Autocracy).
• All major decisions were made by the Tsar.
• Opponents of the Tsar were repressed, exiled, or imprisoned.
• Tsar Nicholas II was often seen as a figurehead; Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna was widely perceived as the true ruler.

Ideological Influences

• The ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels aimed to elevate the proletariat to the ruling class.
• Vladimir Lenin's proposals considered the working class the engine of social development, aiming to end injustices.

Economic Crisis and the Path to Revolution

In 1905, Russia experienced a severe economic crisis that disproportionately affected the populace. This instability, combined with the factors listed above, eventually led to the Russian Revolution of 1917, an event that fundamentally changed the world order.