Editor's note: While researching the subject my laptop went kaput, and with it, all my saved links to sources and bibliography. I apologize as I intended to include a list of sources at the end of the post. Additionally, this post only serves as a prelude to a future post I plan to write about Berlin in the 1930s.
By 1930, the world had become a much smaller place. The phone, radio and wireless provided what was then instant communication. Talking movies and photography were becoming an art form onto themselves. Advancements in flight, motoring and shipping opened new and faster modes of travel. A new world order was emerging and the old continent was learning how to cope amid wars and internal conflicts.
After the first world war, the geo-political map of Europe had changed significantly as borders were redrawn with the emergence of new nations. Some of the old powers lost stature while others gained in importance and authority. Of these, the most affected was Germany.
A prelude to war
Prior to 1871 Germany did not even exist as a unified nation. It was a loosely knit federation of duchies, grand duchies, principalities and city states of germanic origin. It was Otto von Bismarck who in 1871 united all the territories and created the nation of Germany under the umbrella of Prussian authority. The new nation encompassed areas of Poland, the Baltic States and parts of Denmark. Additionally, it had wrested control of the Alsace-Lorraine region from France after the latter's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
At the time, Germany was the most industrialized country in Europe outproducing all other European countries in coal, iron and steel, thanks in large part to its annexation of the Alsace-Lorraine region, principal source of metal ores. They were science and technology innovators making important contributions in physics and chemistry. In the first quarter of the 20th century Germany had produced more Science Nobel laureates than any other country. The Otto engine was the blueprint for all internal combustion engines and people like Einstein, Planck, Daimler-Benz, Bosch, Wankel, Diesel, Geiger and Hertz became household names.
As part of their growing importance in Europe, Germans embarked on the task of colonization. Although latecomers to the game, they established colonial outposts in Africa and Asia. Colonization served two purposes: it reaffirmed Germany as a world power which brought with it prestige and clout, and secondly but more importantly, it meant Germany had a powerful naval armada with which to defend its colonies. Britain, seeing their naval dominance challenged, retaliated by strengthening their navy. The result was the 'Dreadnought race' between Britain and Germany towards the end of the 19th century.
Tensions rising
Serbia had rebelled against the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1815 and declared its independence by 1835. At the time, large parts of the Balkans were under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the emperor feared that Serbian independence would create similar aspirations in Bosnia-Herzegovinia and Dalmatia. Hence, the emperor, Franz Joseph I, was more than a little wary of the Serbians. Meanwhile, the 19th century saw shifting alliances and realignment among Europe's traditional powers. After France's botched imperialistic aspirations during the Napoleonic Wars at the start of the 19th century, the victors distributed the spoils of war among themselves in the Second Treaty of Paris. Generally speaking, when a peace treaty is signed after any conflict, it means that all parties concerned have reached a compromise that pleases no one and annoys everyone. Eventually, problems with the Ottoman Empire, the creation of Bulgaria and the independence of Serbia resulted in the Triple Alliance (1882) of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. As a counter measure, Britain, France and Russia formed the Triple Entente. Basically, member states were committed to come to the defense of their partners in the event of foreign invasion.
To say that these alliances were in a state of flux is an understatement. No one trusted anybody. To make matters worse, the monarchs of Russia (Nicholas II), Germany (Wilhelm II)and England (George V) were all blood related. In fact, George V and Nicholas II were first cousins and could have passed for brothers while Wilhelm was the first cousin of George and second cousin of Nicholas. Italy, after joining the triple alliance, made a separate deal with France while present day Turkey (Ottomans) would align with Austria-Hungary.The powder keg
Eventually, the inevitable happened. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo by a Serbian ultra nationalist was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was the perfect excuse Austria needed to declare war on Serbia. However, because of the alliances, other countries were committed to the conflict. First to join the fray was Russia which, in addition to coming to the aid of their Serbian cousins, had its own political agenda in wanting to grab the Dardanelles from the Turks, and thus, secure a direct access to the Mediterranean from their Black Sea ports. France, having no direct interest in the Serbian conflict, did see an opportunity to engage Germany in an attempt to regain control of the Alsace-Lorraine region. Britain entered the conflict when Germany decided to invade neutral Belgium to get to France. Eventually, all of Europe got involved one way or the other. The war was largely stalemated although Germany maintained a slight advantage. However, it was evident they could not sustain a two-front war. The turning point came when the Americans joined the Allied effort and supplied troops and war materiel.
The end
The rest, as they say, is history. By the time the war ended, three empires had disappeared from the face of the earth. Austria had been reduced to a shadow of its former glory, the great Romanov dynasty which had ruled Russia for over 300 years was no more and the Ottomans vanished. The Russian debacle was particularly tragic, mainly because Nicholas insisted on going to war when his country was ill prepared for it. Nicholas had never been properly trained by his father on matters of state. On top of this, he was wholly reliant on his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra of Hesse-Darmstadt, who was German by birth. While the rest of the world was instituting political reforms brought about by the new realities of the industrial revolution, Nicholas and Alexandra remained supreme autocrats eschewing all kinds of socio-political reforms. The situation was further exacerbated by the condition of Alexei, crown prince and heir to the throne, and the influence Gregory Rasputin held over the royals, especially the Tsarina.
The end for Nicholas and Alexandra came after they were twice betrayed. First by Wilhelm II who facilitated the exiled Lenin's return to Russia hoping (rightly so) that this would stir anti-war sentiment among the disgruntled people, and secondly by George V who promised the Romanovs asylum in England which was later revoked upon the advice of his ministers.
As mentioned earlier, after the war, the geo-political map of Europe had changed. The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 imposed heavy penalties on Germany which was blamed for instigating hostilities. Besides having to retreat to its pre-1871 borders, Germany faced strict restrictions on its military build up and was bound to pay extensive war reparations which were finally paid off in 2010.
Some sources used:
- Great Events of the 20th Century - Readers Digest
- Timeline of History
- George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I - Miranda Carter
- Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600-1947 - Christopher M. Clark
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to World History - Timothy C. Hall
