EuropeanStrengthsandWeaknessesPriortoWorldWarI

MEETTHEPLAYERS
Germany
UnitedbyPrussianleaderOttovonBismarckin1870afterwarwithFrance
GermanyhadtakenAlsaceLorraine,anindustrialarea,fromFranceandformedan
alliancewithItalyandAH
IndustryfedGermanyssurge
Leaderswereambitiousandafraidofencirclement
Wantedcoloniestobeequalwithothers
AustriaHungary
SprawlingcentralEuropeanempire
Manydifferentethnicgroupswithdistinctcultures:Germans,Czechs,Slavs,Serbs,etc
Czechs(N),Slavs(SW)wantedindependence,Serbs(SW)wantedtojoinneighboring
Serbia
Difficultyholdingcountrytogether
RussiasupportedagrowingSerbia
Italy
Acollectionofsmallerstates
By1914,thecountrywaseagerforexpansionandrespect
Britain
SplendidisolationhadbeenFPinthe1800s
HadregardedRussiaandFranceasrivals
Russiasdefeatinwarremovedthemasathreat
TreatieswithFranceremovedtheirthreat
GermanysgrowthandambitionworriedBritain
France
WorriedaboutgrowthofGermanpower,soitbuiltupitsindustriesandmilitary
AlliedwithRussiatogainprotection

Russia
Thelargest,butperhapsmostbackward
Mostlyagricultural,someindustrythankstoloansfromFrance
LongrivalrywithAH
ASlavicnationlikeSerbia
Internalpressuresafter1905requiredalargearmy,andaneedtowin
EUROPEANTREATIESPRIORTOTHEWAR
DualAlliance:1879
GermanyandAHagainstRussia
AHhadproblemswithRussia,GermanyfearedifAHoverrunthatRussiawouldbeon
Germanysborder
AustroSerbianAlliance:1881
AHandSerbiaagainstRussia
SoughttokeepRussiaatbayintheBalkans
TripleAlliance:1882
Italy,Germany,andAHagainstFrance

KeptItalyfromattackingAHifshewereattackedbyRussiaandobligatedItalyto
supportGermanyifthreatenedbyFrance
FrancoRussianAlliance:1894
FranceandRussiaagainstGermany
ReactiontoGermanpoliticalmovesrenewingTripleAllianceandsupportingrivalsinthe
Mediterranean
EntenteCordiale:1904
FranceandGreatBritaingetfriendlier
AngloRussianEntente:1907
GreatBritainandRussiagetfriendlier

TripleEntente:1907
Russia,France,andGreatBritain
TheGermanBritisharmsraceandGermaneffortstocapitalizeonRussiaswarlossfuel
thistreaty,leadingtoapotentialencirclementofGermanybyherGreatPoweropponents
TheNavalArmsRace,1900
BritishRoyalNavystillconsideredthemostpowerfulintheworld
HeadedbyAdmiralJohnJackyFisher
ImperialGermanNavycommandedbyAdmiralAlfredvonTirpitzfrom18971916
TirpitzgivenpowerandmoneytodoubletheGermanNavytochallengeBritain
In1900,GermanyannounceditsplantostrengthenitsNavy(mostlycoastalfleet)into
theGermanHighSeasFleet
EuropeanditsNavies
Britainstillconsideredthemasteroftheseas
TaughtJapanesehowtobuildanduseamodernnavy
JapandefeatedRussiainRussoJapaneseWarof19041905
MajorupsetwasJapanesevictoryatTsushima
NavalDesignPriortoTsushima
Mixedgunbattleshipswereconsideredsuperior
Had41012gunsintwoturretsasmainarmament,withrangeofalmost10miles
Russianfleetdefeatedbecausetheywereslowerandcouldnotusesmallersecondary
guns
EffectsofTsushima
Britainscrappedmanyminorshipsaroundtheworld
AdmiralFishersaidtheycouldneitherfightnorrunaway
Soughtnewshipswithhigherspeeds,morearmor,andbiggerguns
Russiasnavywasdestroyed
Germanysbuildingprogramwasalmostcompleteby1906
ManythoughtBritainandGermanywerenowequalatsea

HMSDreadnoughtChangedtheStatusQuo
Launchedin1906
Hadlongerrangedguns,highspeed,andincreasedarmorplateoveranythingbuiltbefore

11armorplatesprotectedvitalareas
1012gunscouldfreebroadsideof850lbshellsover10miles
8turbineenginesdroveshipat21knots,3knotsfasterthananythingafloat
Cost2mileuros,50%morethananypreviousBritishbattleship
Est.3xmorepowerfulthananyshipinexistence
FishergotmoneyformoreDreadnoughtsandsmallerbattlecruiserswithlessarmor,
morespeed
GermanysResponse
Germanycaughtbysurprise
TirpitzPlanof1908created
DesignsownDreadnoughts.Orders12
SMSNassaulaunchedin1908
Slower,slightlylesspowerfulguns,butbetterarmor
HighSeasFleetalsoorderedbattlecruisers,butwithstrongerarmorthanBritish
examples
KielCanalalsotobewidenedtoallownewshipstopass
Bothnaviesnowreallycompetingtooutguntheother
MilitarySpending
GermanyandRussiahadthelargestbudgetsin1914
BritainandGermanyspentthemostpercapita:
Germany$8.52
Britain$8.53
USA$0.32
MilitaryPreparedness,PreWar
BelgiumhadoneofthestrongestfortresssystemsinEurope,and100,000troopsonce
warbegan
ConscriptionwasusedinallcountriesexceptBritain
Strongest,mostmodernarmyintheworldwasGermanys,althoughnotthelargest