WWI Alliances and Key Concepts: Triple Entente & SDN

Key Concepts of the Pre-WWI Era and World War I

The Armed Peace (Paz Armada)

This was a tense international period characterized by "peace" because no major war had yet broken out, but it was "armed" because nations were actively preparing for conflict. Governments believed war was inevitable and sought protection by building alliances. States significantly increased their military expenditures and incorporated technological developments stemming from the Second Industrial Revolution (2RI).

Major Military Alliances Leading to WWI

The Triple Alliance (1882)

The Triple Alliance was a military agreement first signed in 1882, promoted by Otto von Bismarck, the German Prime Minister. It initially consisted of:

• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Italy

The alliance was renewed every four or five years. Its members sought mutual protection and aimed to increase their influence globally.

Wartime Changes: Italy did not fulfill its commitments at the outbreak of the war, remaining neutral until it later changed sides to the opposing block. Other powers adhered to this block during the conflict, notably Turkey and Bulgaria, who sought control over the Balkan peninsula.

The Triple Entente

The Triple Entente was not a single agreement but rather three separate treaties signed before the war. It initially consisted of France, the United Kingdom, and Russia, and was defensive in nature.

Components of the Entente:

• Entente Cordiale (1904): An agreement between France and the United Kingdom to negotiate border issues among their colonies, establishing areas of expansion in Northern Africa (from Morocco to Egypt).
• Anglo-Russian Agreement (1907): This treaty resolved colonial problems between the United Kingdom and Russia.

Wartime Expansion: At the outbreak of World War I, other countries joined these parties. The Triple Entente was joined by Serbia and various North African territories.

Colonialism and Imperial Definitions

Colony

A territory colonized and governed more or less completely by a foreign power (the metropolis). A prominent example was India, which was governed by Britain until 1947. Following the Second World War, a broad movement of decolonization developed.

Types of Colonies:

The text mentions various forms of colonial control, including protectorates, colonies, and dominions.

Metropolis

From the perspective of colonialism, the metropolis is the state that governs, manages, or possesses colonies. Examples include France (the metropolitan power) regarding its colonies in Indochina, or Great Britain regarding Australia and New Zealand.

Post-War Institutions

The League of Nations (SDN)

Inspired by one of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, which proposed the establishment of an assembly where all states could participate in the world, the League of Nations (SDN) was born at the Paris Conference of 1919.

Its primary objective was to ensure world peace. In case of conflict between states, differences should have been resolved peacefully. However, the League lacked the military force necessary to enforce sanctions effectively.