World War I: Causes, Consequences, and the Rise of Nazism

Causes and Consequences of World War I (WW1)

Long-Term Causes of WW1

• Rivalry between France and Germany
• Colonial rivalry
• Naval rivalry
• Berlin Conference (A meeting held to divide Africa)

Short-Term Causes

• Nationalist movements (Protest against the empires)
• Militarism (Arms race and preparation of soldiers)

Trigger Event

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Consequences of WW1

Demographic Consequences

• Approximately 9 million deaths.
• Decrease in birth rates.
• The spread of the Spanish Flu pandemic.

Political Consequences

• Rise of extreme ideologies (Right and Left).
• Establishment of parliamentary democracies.
• Disappearance of major empires.
• Creation of new states (e.g., Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova).
• Establishment of the League of Nations.
• Signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Social Consequences

• Emergence of new rich and poor classes.
• Women started working in industries, strengthening their role in society.

Economic Consequences

• Production systems destroyed (factories, roads, and railways).
• Massive financial losses (e.g., over 260 billion USD in costs).
• Europe lost control of the world economy to the USA and Japan.

Key Post-War Institutions and Treaties

The League of Nations

Created by Woodrow Wilson (President of the USA) to maintain peace, based on his 14 Points:

1. No secret diplomacy.
2. Freedom of navigation and trade.
3. Reduction of weapons (disarmament).
4. Acceptance of the right to independence for linguistic minorities.

It was ultimately a weak institution.

The Treaty of Versailles

(Terms dictated by the victorious Allied Powers)

• Germany had to pay all war expenses (reparations including money, ships, and trains).
• Germany lost significant territories (e.g., Alsace-Lorraine).
• Germany could only maintain a small army.
• Germany could not possess airplanes or large naval ships.

Alliances and Participants in WW1

Before the War (Pre-1914 Alliances)

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

During the War (Wartime Powers)

• Central Powers: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire
• Allied Powers: France, Britain, Russia, USA

The Phases of the Great War

Movement Phase (1914)

First battles occurred on the Western and Eastern European fronts (e.g., Battle of Cocos, Kilimanjaro, Marne, Christmas Truce).

Trench Warfare (1915–1917)

Both sides entrenched in trenches (e.g., Battle of the Somme, Verdun, Sinking of the Lusitania).

World Phase (1916–1918)

The battles were fought on land, sea, and air.

The Interwar Period (1919–1939)

The Weimar Republic (1919–1933)

A democratic republic established in Germany.

Causes of the Weimar Republic's Establishment

• Imposition by the Allies, leading to economic hardship and government collapse.
• Efforts to solve national debt.
• The Spartacist Uprising and the subsequent establishment of the Weimar Republic.

Consequences and Decline

• Adolf Hitler created the Nationalist Socialist Party (Nazi Party).
• Rising unemployment.
• Nazism increased its influence.

End of the Republic

• Hitler became Chancellor.
• Hitler announced the end of the Republic in 1933.