The First World War -

The First World War -

The old empires of earlier days began to fall apart. The Ottoman Empire (centered in Turkey) had been decaying for a long time and European powers were circling like a pack of sharks, taking bites out of it whenever they could. The Austrian empire (or Austro-Hungarian empire, The old empires of earlier days began to fall apart. The Ottoman Empire (centered in Turkey) had been decaying for a long time and European powers were circling like a pack of sharks, taking bites out of it whenever they could. The Austrian empire (or Austro-Hungarian empire,

In terms of populations, more lives were lost to cold, famine and disease (even among soldiers) than to battle death. Over ten million soldiers died (twice as many as had died in all the European wars in the 125 years preceding.) Civilian deaths are more unclear. The Spanish Influenza epidemic had spread around the world in the last years of the war and is said to have caused six million deaths (1,200,000 in the United States). The estimates of total civilian deaths attributed directly or indirectly to the war range from ten million to fifteen million.

In terms of property losses there is also little agreement. One estimate suggests losses approaching 37 billion (in 1920 dollars). The losses attendant on the war are even harder to calculate. There were production losses caused by drawing manpower into military service (45 billion dollars), war relief costs (one billion) and the cost of the war to neutral nations (1.75 billion). Whatever the dollar figure, by the end of the war Europe lay in shambles, production capacity ruined and even agriculture in terrible shape.

The peace treaties of Versailles (28 June 1919) between the Allies and Germany; of St. Germain (10 September 1919) with Austria; of Neuilly (27 November 1919) with Bulgaria; and of Trianon (4 June 1920) with Hungary, brought about major frontier changes, the emergence of a number of new states and the enlargement of others (on the winning side).

The map of Europe was re-drawn (again) as a result of the dissolution of the two failing empires (who were on the losing side) and according to who were the victors and the losers engaged in the war. As a result the following changes occurred:

NEW STATES CREATED: Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were freed from Russia Poland was reconstituted from the empires who had shared in its partition at the end of the 18th century. Czechoslovakia was created by putting together the old Hapsburg "crown lands" of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, together with Slovakia, and Carpathian Ruthenia from former Hungarian territory. Yugoslavia was created by assembling the former independent kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro, the former crown land of Croatia, the former Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Hapsburg provinces of Slovenia and Dalmatia (by the end of this period this will prove to be a very bad idea indeed).

TERRITORIAL ENLARGEMENTS: Romania gained Transylvania from Hungary, the Dobruja from Bulgaria and Bessarabia from Russia. Italy retained the North African colonies of Libya and Italian Somaliland and acquired Eritrea.

The war and the settlements following it were accompanied by massive migrations of various ethnic groups. Ethnic peoples who found themselves in territories which were predominantly something other than native to them fled to join their own groups. For example: 200.000 Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians fled Russia to the newly reestablished countries native to them. 1,300,000 Greeks fled Turkey and hundreds of thousands of other ethnic groups relocated.

This mass migration continued after the initial post-war readjustment because of two new political movements that made people uncomfortable (not to mention actively persecuted and This mass migration continued after the initial post-war readjustment because of two new political movements that made people uncomfortable (not to mention actively persecuted and

COLONIAL EMPIRES AT END OF WW I - FRANCE controlled: Syria, Lebanon, Algeria. Morroco, Indo-China (Laos, Cambodia)

French West Africa. Madagascar, French Congo, French Guiana Lesser Antilies GREAT BRITAIN (United Kingdom) controlled: Iraq, Palestine, Transjordan, Egypt, Sudan, southern and eastern fringes of Arabia, India, Burma, Ceylon, Somialiland, Nepal and the Malay States (in addition to the Commonwealth which included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, British Honduras, British Guiana, Bahamas, Bermuda, Falklands, Union of South Africa, Rhodesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Gold Coast, Uganda, part of New Guniea, Samoa, New Hebrides, Fiji, Solomon Islands NETHERLANDS - Dutch East Indies (Sumatra, Borneo, half of New Guinea, Java, Celebes) Dutch Guiana

BETWEEN THE WARS - By the 1920's the European empires in Asia and North Africa reached their greatest extent.

The increasing demand for oil to fuel the industry and armies of western countries gave special meaning to the discoveries of large oil resources in the Middle East.

The struggle between imperialism and nationalism increased. The countries of Asia and North Africa were, for the most part, countries of ancient literate civilization, with traditions of independence. There was increasing opposition to colonial rule in these areas leading to a mixture of repression and concession (Revolts in Morocco were suppressed, the British granted Afghanistan independence in 1921). In India the Indian Nationalist Congress, led by Mahatma Gandhi was gathering wide popular support. The world wide depression of the thirties added fuel to the fire.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION 1929-1939 - The American stock market crash of 1929 was the signal but by no means the cause. The

dramatic increase in production (like all that wheat planted on the American plains) following the war was not matched by a corresponding increase in demand. Profits were big in the developed nations and for the industrialists, but wages lagged behind profits and basic commodity exporters (cotton, etc.) found prices for their goods falling off. The dislocations of the war affecting international finance were never resolved (who owed who what, and who pays for all the lost loans, stuff like that) and the slump was touched off by the precipitous fall in stock prices in October 1929. In the scramble for liquidity that followed, funds flowed back to America from Europe and, without that prop, European prosperity collapsed. The entire world was affected.

UNEMPLOYMENT - In many industrial nations over a quarter of the labor force was thrown out of work. A new economic world order was struggling to be born, but it would take the next world war to accomplish this. Rearmament was the unemployment solution of choice in Germany and the United Kingdom, but France and America didn't take this way out. Economically it was every country for itself and this revival of economic nationalism went hand-in-hand with a new intensity in international politics. Almost no country came out of the UNEMPLOYMENT - In many industrial nations over a quarter of the labor force was thrown out of work. A new economic world order was struggling to be born, but it would take the next world war to accomplish this. Rearmament was the unemployment solution of choice in Germany and the United Kingdom, but France and America didn't take this way out. Economically it was every country for itself and this revival of economic nationalism went hand-in-hand with a new intensity in international politics. Almost no country came out of the

THE WORLD MOVES TOWARD THE SECOND WORLD WAR - 1931-1941 marks the breakdown of the international security system set up in 1919. This

centered around the League of Nations which was designed to prevent a dispute between two states escalating into a general war. Unfortunately the League couldn't rely on American support (the president couldn't get the Senate to ratify joining the League) and the Soviet Union never played a major role (it was still busy finishing its revolution.) Consequently, world leadership fell to France and Great Britain who were unwilling or unable to deter the following events that were outlawed by the League of Nations:

ITALY- In 1935, Italy takes Ethiopia (from bases in Eritrea and Italian Somaliland.) There was a failure of league of nations to act on Ethiopia's behalf. In 1936 there is the creation of the Rome-Berlin Axis (they agree on their political interests.) In 1938, Italy claimed French Territory. In 1939 Italy annexed Albania.

JAPAN- Between 1931-41 Japan begins her move for Asian expansion. In 1933 Japan takes Manchuria by military force. In 1937-39 Japan takes over Northern China, central China and Chinese coastline and northern Indo-China (French.)

SPANISH CIVIL WAR - 1936-1939 This involves a fascist side [composed of the military, political right, Catholic Church with German and Italian volunteers and military aid] against the 'Popular Front' government [made up of republicans, anti-clericals, anarchists, socialists, and Communists, autonomous-seeking Basque and Catalan factions (all with Soviet military aid).] The political leaders in Europe, Great Britain and France, initiated (against widespread criticism) an international Non-intervention Agreement [to prevent escalation into a Mediterranean conflict.] As a result, the main forces "intervening" were the fascist German and Italian governments, who provided lots of planes, tanks and armament. The Soviets supply some for the other side.