As well, the only way that the Wilson plan would have survived the political intrigue of the Europeans was either through a league that had real teeth, or a super power willing to intervene as a worldwide police officer. Neither of which existed in 1918. Clemenceau’s views represented the average sentiment of the European Allies after the war. In the closing days of the war, a war weary European population must have tried to make sense of the carnage, of the loss. Clemenceau casts a pale light on the German population, blaming the war on the aims of “the intolerable German Aristocracy.” (Clemenceau, p. 73) The entire argument for the French and nay, European view, was the perceived threat that Europeans felt of German arrogance.
Although German signed the Treaty of Versailles, much to the disgrace of many Germans, admitting they were to blame it is undeniable that aggressive German foreign policy had a lot to do with the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, but this neglects other factors that may have additionally added to the tensions leading up to the war. Many historians debate whether it was mainly Germany to blame or whether other dominant powers led them into a no-win situation. Source V, ‘Modern Germany’ by Volker Berghahn suggests that the Kaiser no longer saw foreign policy and civil war as separate issues and that they were now seen to entwine together. The mention of the 1913 Army bill that had aggravated many within the German society due to the growing distress over money and the status quo within the German political establishment, the argument over the tax burdens grew with every bill passed. These tensions started to disrupt their dual alliance with Austria-Hungary, even with a ‘Blank Cheque’ being given to them.
By the outbreak of WW1 in August 1914, Germany was well established as a major and prominent world power. Such an achievement could be seen in the country’s industrial and economic strength, overseas colonies, extensive trading interests and its vast armies. Prior to the war of 1914, the people of Germany had a strong sense of pride, largely owing to their autocratic government and militaristic background. However,
‘Arminianism was the most important cause of conflict between Crown and Parliament in the years 1625 to 1629’ explain why you agree or disagree with this view. Arminianism was important for the collapse of the relationship between Crown and Parliament to a certain extent, as religious conflicts were an underlying theme throughout the period of 1625 to 1629. Furthermore many Puritans feared that Charles was trying to push towards Arminianism, and so did everything they could to prevent this, causing much tension. However due to Charles’ personal monarchy, he shaped the way he wanted the country to be run thus was the root cause of the deterioration in the Crown-Parliament relationship. The most important factor and root for all of the problems was Charles.
When the war ended the general population of France wanted revenge on Germany. Clemenceau saw the Versailles treaty as a way of crippling Germany. To punish it so harshly so that Germany would never again be a threat to France. Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points No secret treaties, free navigation / trade, removal of economic barriers,
Sajid Hossain Mr. Feltman AP Euro 10/28/10 France - Louis XIV during the age of exploration During the time period around the 1650’s, France was a huge power in Europe that unlike other countries, ruled with one of the best absolute monarchs. Not only was Louis XIV a great known leader for France but he was also considered one of the best and if not, then the best absolute monarch of all time. Under the power of Louis XIV, France ultimately became a very wealthy country considering government, society, and economy. After the Thirty Years War and with the Treaty of Westphalia, France became a very strong nation that eventually emerged as a world power. It also became a great militaristically advanced country that also
They argued that Imperialism played a major role in the war. Lenin stated that “Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism”, this thesis was further supported by Emil Ludwig which stated that war was caused due to incapable leaders. On the other hand, many revisionist historians argue that the war was caused by nationalism, imperialism, militarism and the system of alliances. In Britain, the historian A.J.P. Taylor wrote a book called “The Struggle for Mastery in Europe”, in this book A.J.P.
On the 6 July 1914 Germany had given Austria a “blank check”, which stated the support of Germany towards Austria. The “blank check” enraged the UK, which sent a telegram to Germany declaring that the UK would support France. The “blank check” was no accident, therefore, the tensions and ally system of WWI began before the war, meaning that war was yet to come. Although, Austria was crippled from past events solely wanted to destroy Serbia. Massie states that Austria believes it’s fractured and disintegrated state will be cured by annihilating the source of all of its problems, Serbia.
Why was there Civil war in the second half of the 16th century, but not the first? During the period 1559 to 1598, there were nine individual wars that pitted new radical Protestants against the traditional conservative Catholics. However, even before 1559, the growth of Calvinism and Lutheranism amongst many European states meant that religious tensions were nothing less than a formality. So why was it that after 1559, civil war in France was a common occurrence whereas before it was practically unheard of? There are several reasons and causes for the wars, including growing religious tensions, weak monarchs, foreign intervention, the role of Catherine de Medici and the existence of weak Kings coupled with strong Nobles.
Yes, Hitler's aggressive foreign policy between 1933 and 1939 inevitably led to WWII. While other factors such as appeasement and the failure of the League of Nations might have encouraged Hitler to test the boundaries and to slowly bring about the start of the war, it was his foreign policy that was the root cause of the problem, as it triggered his motivation to expand German territory and thus angering Britain and France, both eventually declaring war on Germany. Hitler had stated in Mein Kampf, as early as, in 1924, that he wished to expand German territory, and his foreign policy was centered on that. Hitler also resented the Treaty of Versailles and he began to challenge its terms and slowly went about its destruction; this too contributed to the start of the war. The first step of Hitler’s foreign policy was to remove the limitations, which had been placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.