The world was changing in a multitude of ways that helped had both positive & negative effects. Transportation & Communication: 1. Introduction of the automobile (Model T by Henry Ford). 2. Introduction of subway systems in cities (New York, London, Paris). 3. Development of airplanes (Wright brothers model in 1903). Urban Life: 1. Electrical grids brought a new form of power to cities (using alternating current). 2. Cities grew at rapid rates 3. Family sizes decreased as more flocked to urban life from their rural existence. Scientific Research & Development 1. New chemical products like synthetic dyes & artificial fertilizers (like ammonia helped replace the need to import natural fertilizers like guano) helped improve farm production. Fritz Haber synthesized ammonia from nitrogen in the air making it among the best fertilizers. Downside??? Among the new chemicals were gases that began to be manufactured into weaponry (mustard gas, nerve gas) 2. Discoveries in physics like theoretical physics helped to change scientific thought. Famous physicists like Einstein who created the theory of relativity brought an understanding of the universe. He also introduced the principle that mass & energy are interchangeable (E=mc2). Nationalism: the Balkan region was seeking independence from the Ottoman Empire. This led to increasing tensions & many others to follow. Ex: Serbia wanted independence from Austria-Hungary. When the archduke Franz Ferdinand came for a diplomatic visit, he was assassinated by the Black Hand, a Serbian terrorist group. Alliance System: All of the European nations were aligned into defensive alliances meant to protect one another. After Serbia assassinated the Austrian archduke, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. As a result, Russias alliance with Serbia led to declarations of war between the two empires. Since Britain & France were allies with Russia, they too, were pulled into war against Austria-Hungary. Germany & the Ottoman Empire were aligned with Austria-Hungary; thus pulling them into war against Britain, France, & Russia. Imperialism: Due to the development of empires many competing empires felt jealousy of each others power, fear over each empires power, & competition to surpass each other for power. The largest empires of the era were the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Militarism: Many empires & nations began to build up their militaries to levels that were not seen before. The militaries of nations like Germany & Austria-Hungary were among the largest. Western Front: Expecting a quick warGermany invades France by advancing through Belgium. The French defenses held & both sides dug into trenches. The war quickly became a stalemate with neither side advancing or gaining territory. Casualties were devastating. Battle of Verdun: 350,000 on each side. Battle of the Somme: 500,000 German casualties; 400,000 British; 200,000 French casualties. Eastern Front: Germany attacks the Russians. Russians were ill-equipped, ill-fed, & ill-commanded. Led many to question their involvement in the war as well as their leadership. Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne & a temporary, provisional govt was instituted. Middle-Eastern Front: Britain launched new attacks against the Ottoman Empire. Help came from the Arabs of Arabia & Palestine (modern-day Israel) Dealing with pressure from British forces & the Arab revolts, the Ottoman Empire asked for peace by Oct American Involvement: Germany behaved in a manner that forced America to enter WWI. Germany declared it would use unrestricted submarine warfare in the Pacific battles. American cruise liner (carrying civilians) was attacked & sunk by German U-boat submarines. Germanys foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman, sent a secret telegram to Mexico promising to help Mexico regain lands lost to the U.S. in exchange for initiating a war with the U.S. (meant as a distraction & keep America out of the war.) American involvement turns the tide of the war. U.S. sent 4 million troops abroad to help the Allies (France & Britain). U.S. lent $10 billion in military & civilian aid. At home, manufacturing changed from production of consumer products to military equipment & supplies. Civilians were encouraged to help the war effort by rationing food, sugar, & other much-needed supplies for the war effort. Often encouraged with propaganda, this new form of commercial art changed the war civilians viewed the war. Led to increased civilian involvement. On 11/11/1911, Germany sought an armistice (end to fighting) at 11 am. New Wartime Technology: Development of poison gas, tanks, & machine guns caused unprecedented casualties unseen in any other war. New Wartime Strategies: Use of airplanes in war Trench-style warfare prevented territorial gains The expectations for the peace settlements did not match the outcomes. Promises were made during the war, including: Arab regions under the Ottoman Empire were promised independence. Jews believed they would receive a homeland in the area known as Palestine. India was promised eventual gradual participation in their colonial government & eventual independence. China anticipated to regain some colonial territories lost earlier (Taiwan & other port cities like Shanghai). Ethnic minorities in the Balkan region also hoped to gain independence. New movements geared toward promoting cultural/political unity & social equality formed: Pan-Arabism & Pan-Africanism led to increasing desires among the colonies for independence. The BIG empires were dissolved (solving the issue of imperialism) Russia lost territories: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania gained independence. Austria-Hungary lost territories: Austria, Hungary formed as separate nations; Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia gained independence. Ottoman Empire disappeared: Turkey, Armenia, & Egypt formed as separate nations; Romania & Greece gained land; Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, & Palestine became mandates or colonies of European powers. Germany lost territory: Alsace-Lorraine went to France; German lands were given to Lithuania, Belgium, & Denmark. Make Germany Pay became the slogan of the Allied Powers. Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for the war & pay the Allies $33 billion for their involvement in the war. Formation of the League of Nations Brought hope to prevent future world war conflicts. Brought unity among the world powers to help begin an era of global diplomacy. Brought disappointment as the inspiration behind the League failed to join (the U.S.) Brought disappointment as it failed to resolve some of the complex problems developing in Europe & the colonies abroad. Lacked the ability to keep international peace as there were no international armed forces. Promises of Independence were Ignored: Britain claimed the mandates of Iraq & Palestine; France claimed Syria & Lebanon. Japan was given former German colonial lands. India had to endure increased British control when freedoms of the press & assembly were restricted. In Africa, Europeans continued to control the colonies & denied any form of independence. A new political & economic ideology rose to prominence, challenging the long-adored theory of capitalism. The Russian Revolution showed the world that Communism was not only appealing, but that its rapid spread brought fear to many nations Despite industrialization programs instituted by Tsar Nicholas II, Russia still lagged behind Western Europe in industry & trade. Russias agriculture was unproductive and technology was primitive when compared to the west. Russia still used feudal-like methods: Nobles held enormous power over land & often exploited the peasantry. Russias government prevented outsiders from purchasing land & left it only to the nobility. Peasants carried the main responsibility for production of goods to pay off national debts. This resulted in increased hatred of nobility, continued suffering for the poor, & a technologically/economically imp Vladimir Lenin proposes a solution to Russias problems. He claimed a communist revolution would help catapult Russia into the modern age. Small protests led to increasing discontent & loss of lives. On Bloody Sunday, factory workers assembled to petition the Tsar for better working conditions. The Russian army fired upon the demonstration turning the protest into a month-long ordeal causing 500,000 workers to strike. Russias loss against the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War showed the flaws in the Russian army & government. Russias involvement in WWI placed unneeded stress on the Russian working class & led to increasing casualties of approx. 2 million. In March 1917 Tsar Nicholas abdicated under pressure from Russias parliament, the Duma, & a provisional govt took his place. The Communist Party, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin overthrow the provisional government. Took over the government, the railway stations, power plants, post offices, & telephone exchanges. Later ownership of land, banks, trade ships, & factories fell into the hands of the Communists as well. Lenin allowed peasants to sell their products for profit (capitalist) yet placed control of Russias finances, banking, trading policies, & industry in the hands of the state. Lenins death brings uncertainty to Russia Conflict between two competing Communists, Leon Trotsky & Josef Stalin, led to instability in Russia. Stalin eventually claimed control over the Russia & began unprecedented changes. Stalins Implements His Five Year Plans Focused on government planning to make any/all economic decisions. He lowered the prices of agricultural goods while raising the prices for farm tools & materials. This created economic hardship for the peasants. Prices for products were not profitable enough to purchase the tools necessary for farming. Why do this???? This forced the peasants to work collectively on farms. They gave up their individual fields to work on collectives of 1,000 acres or more. Other peasant-farmers gave up farming for good & opted to work for the new state-operated factories. Stalins Dark Side: The most industrious & talented farmers were either killed or imprisoned. The farmers that rejected the collectives were either murdered or sent off to labor camps in Siberia. Industrial advances were in fact, due to capitalism! The USSR constructed hydroelectric plants like those in Western Europe. The USSR imported tractors made by Henry Ford in the U.S. Soviet factories were based on those used by Henry Ford as well. Communism was more productive than capitalism. While most of Europe & the U.S. were reeling from the Great Depression, the USSR was thriving. As Russia became Communist & Europe cleaned up after WWI, America entered an era of prosperity. America became the technological & financial leader of the world: Automobile production increased, labor unions negotiated shorter work weeks, electricity replaced steam as a source of power, radio & movies (silent & talkies) were becoming popular forms of entertainment. Womens lives changed: Women were granted the right to vote by Birth control was promoted to help with family planning. Approx. 25% of women worked outside the home. Shorter hair & changes in dress led to a new image of women known as flappers. American cultural changes occurred: Sale, production, & transfer of alcohol became illegal. Russias Revolution sparked a fear of Communism known as the Red Scare. =Chaplin film?v=bkyvstNrkHohttp://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=bkyvstNrkHo = jazz singer