WoRlD WaR Ii: ThE RiSe Of NeW IdEoLoGiEs B. World War I and Its Consequences To understand how World War II could happen, it is necessary to briefly examine World War I (1914–18). Europe before World War I NORWAY SWEDEN IRELAND
Atlantic Ocean
North Sea
GREAT BRITAIN
NETHERLANDS BELGIUM
LUX. AUSTRO- FRANCE SWITZ.
HUNGARIAN EMPIRE
Black Sea ITALY SPAIN eM MOROCCO ALGERIA LIBYA EGYPT TUNISIA
ALBANIA MONTE-
NEGRO OTTOMAN EMPIRE GREECE
Fig 13.1 Europe in 1914 – note the size of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
SERBIA BULGARIA GERMANY DENMARK
Baltic Sea
RUSSIAN EMPIRE
13
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Europe contained a mix of large empires and countries. These were divided into two different alliances (countries/empires that agree to cooperate with each other on certain issues).
The Allies (also known as the Entente Cordiale)
Britain, France, Russia, Italy (joined in 1915). Russia left in October 1917 and the USA joined later in 1917.
The Central Powers Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Ottoman Empire (joined in October 1914) and Bulgaria (joined in 1915).
The largest countries in Europe competed with each other for more control over trade and for greater military strength. The tensions that arose from this competition finally resulted in a war between the two alliances. The war was sparked by the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia) on 28 June 1914. Soon the great powers of Europe were at war with each other.