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.
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.
One of the factors that possibly made Germany seem very much like an autocracy is the power the Kaiser had to dissolve the Reichstag ant to appoint a Chancellor of his choice. In all of these situations the Kaiser held supreme power and he needed no democratic authorisation – what he said was the final decision. It appeared the Kaiser used his power in order to shape the German government, an example of this is in 1900 when he appointed von Bulow as Chancellor in the hope that he could exercise power of the decisions he made. However, when von Bulow tried to assert how own authority following the, what could be considered, disastrous Daily Telegraph he was forced to hand in his resignation because he had lost the support, he initially had, of the Kaiser. This is an example of a strong autocratic element within the constitution.
Division of states led to national borders being defined. It was also around this time that European Enlightenment ideas such as liberalism began to form the foundation of America. Bender also points out that had the South won in their attempt to form their own nation, even the term “Civil War” would not exist. He also shows that America was one of the last nations to finally abolish slavery, and was very behind in the European idea advancements. However, the Civil War sparked the U.S. industrialization to the dominance we see today.
This was because the new middle class that had emerged in the 'German states', from industrialisation, wanted political representation, and felt that it could only be achieved in a united Germany. The Congress of Vienna wanted to make sure that no country could take over Europe in the way that France did in the early 1800s, it aimed to do this by allocating more land to Prussia and creating a 'barrier' that would block any attempts of French expansion and also war from Russia in the east. The German Confederation divided Germany into thirty-nine states, as Napoleon did during the French occupation. A reduction in the number of German states may seem like a move towards nationalism and in turn unification, however it was in fact a direct move against it, as can be seen in the second amendment of the confederation. This is known as 'particularism', the principle of leaving each state in a federation free to govern itself and promote its own interests.
The desire of the Russians to press west and south put them on a collision with German speaking peoples in Germany and the Balkans, leading to those nations fighting in both world wars. Japan, being a small island nation with few natural resources, desired national security too. They sought to gain this by control of surrounding territories such as Korea, Philippines, north China, and Southeast Asia. Being isolated for centuries prior to 1870, these goals were fairly recent in the national philosophy, contrasted with the various European goals which had been around for centuries. They were thus rather easily discarded by the populace following the defeat of 1945.
Wilson believed the treaty of Versailles should punish Germany but not so harshly that it would someday recover and seek revenge. However Wilson’s main aims were portrayed> through his fourteen points. But perhaps his main goal for post war Europe was to strengthen democracy in Germany so the citizens would not let its leaders cause another war. France suffered enormous damage in WW1. When the war ended the general population of France wanted revenge on Germany.
The Defeat of the Treaty of Versailles It was not the power of the opposition forces, liberal or conservative, of the U.S. that led to the final defeat of the Treaty of Versailles, but rather the political ignorance, inability and inflexibility of the President, Woodrow Wilson. With the surrender of Germany after WW1, it presented many different ways to create peace. Wilson in 1918 offered his plans for peace in the "Fourteen Points", the most important of which he believed was Article X, the League of Nations. One year later, Wilson led the Paris Peace Conference at Versailles to reach an international pact that included the points. However, the U.S. was never to sign the treaty or join the League of Nations Woodrow Wilson's ideas for peace were well rooted in thought, but in politically applying his ideas, he made unchangeable mistakes.
-Stresemann altered the policies with the introduction of Dawes plan and the young plan. - Germany was able to meet its reparation payments and the French left the area of Ruhr in 1924. The failures can be seen through the flaws in the constitution, political parties, economic failures the lack of support towards the republic. •The new parliament met in February 1919 and drew up a constitution that established Germany as a democracy. •It was a constitution that would preserve German democracy, liberties and rights of the people.
The statement "America was conquered in Germany" means that whichever country would prove to be the most powerful in Europe would boost the rights to America since allegedly no troops where worthy enough to send them to America. Braddock’s Blundering and its Aftermath Know: Edward Braddock 6. What setbacks did the British suffer in the early years of the French and Indian War? The setbacks the British suffered early in the early years of the French Indian war due to old bullheaded General Braddock, a slow moving army due to carrying heavy artillery throughout the expidition, and a series of losses in Canada alse by George Washington. Pitt’s Palms of