2’d Lecture (Political History- 2, Europe and America)

Daniel Brower (1999), The World in the 20’th Century, Prentice Hall, pp. 1-38.

William R.Keylor (2006), The Twentieth-Century World and Beyond, Oxford Univ. Press, Prologue, pp. 1-10, 16-25

The USA and European states in the early 20’th Century

Introduction

To provide a single integrated narrative of world politics from the beginning of the 20’th century to the end of the WW 2 we have to know major actors of IR relations and political processes took place in the end of the 19’th and in the early 20’th centuries – they were at the origins of both WW’s.

The Features of the early 20’th century

1. The most salient feature of the IR at the beginning of the 20’th century was that most of the world (Asia, Africa, Latin America, even Antarctica and tow poles) came under the direct or indirect domination of the European powers, whether great as Britain or minor power as Belgium.

2. The balance of power – was a feature of European politics.

The balance of power 1’ly is an international distribution of power favoring the supporters of the status quo and thereby likely to deter any revisionist state or alliance of states from attacking them. 2’ly this concept denotes the means by which this equilibrium is achieved instead of diplomacy and IR Law.

-the status quo the existing state of affairs, esp. regarding social or political issues

The balance of power – was a feature of European politics.

Collaborator of Metternich, Gentz defined balance of power as “an organization of separately existing states of which no single one has the ability to impair the independence or basic rights of the others without meeting with the effective resistance and thus having to risk danger for itself”

=In the 2’d half of 19’th and the 1’st decade of the 20’th century European powers penetrated into most of the African and Asian lands. As the result of this expansion in all directions was the creation for the 1’st time in history of an interdependent and Euro-centric world.

After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the ruling elite of France and Britain seriously began imperial expansion. (Suez Canal was built by the French between 1859 and 1869, brought under joint Brit- French financial control in 1875). This route came to be regarded by Britain as a “lifeline” to its possessions in Asia. British imperial line was as the following: Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Suez, Aden, Somaliland, Kenya, India, Burma, Malaya, Singapore. The strategic importance of that waterway cannot be overstated. It was the gateway to India and East Asia and hence of a vital interest for the British Empire. (some of the past and current IR issues may be directly related to this line, e.g. piracy in Somali – some circles protect them and give them necessary information (even satellite surveillance information))

All in all, the economic prosperity, if not national survival of Britain was directly connected to imperial system.

The French preoccupation with Germany in continental Europe did not prevent her from colonial expansion. At beginning of the 20’th century France became the 2’nd largest colonial empire in the world (1/3 of Africa, ‘French Indochina’ in Asia and a few island chains).

3. All European problems of the 20’th century arose out Germany’s revisionist policies. Powerful, united Germany was the headache for all major European powers – for Russia, France, Britain.

The expansion of European powers

The expansion of the European powers had began in the 16’th century, as the result of improvements in technology (firstly in military, oceanic transportation realms). In parallel European settlements were established in various parts of the world, esp. in coastal regions.

=The American successor states (the USA, Canada, Latin America states), after gaining their independence remained thoroughly Europeanized (political institutions, economic practices, religious beliefs, cultural traditions). European immigrants constituted the elite (ruling, economic, social) of this region.

= In the 19’th century Russia penetrated into the deep regions of Asia.

=In the 2’d half of 19’th and the 1’st decade of the 20’th century European powers penetrated into most of the African and Asian lands.

=As the result of this expansion in all directions was the creation for the 1’st time in history of an interdependent and Euro-centric world.

=the explanation of the sudden resurgence of European imperial expansion in this period is the subject of hot debates among historians. (Some reasons may be listed as below:

-Some historians emphasize the role of Western economic interests (the need for markets, capital, raw materials etc)

-Others focus on the activities of Christian missionaries missionaries

-Another group of historians emphasize the strategic necessity, national pride and prestige etc.

=Two nations which achieved in this way the position of the “world power” were Great Britain and France.

BRITAIN and FRANCE

Only after the opening of the Suez Canal (built by the French between 1859 and 1869, brought under joint Brit- French financial control in 1875) the ruling elite of France and Britain seriously began imperial expansion. This route came to be regarded by Britain as a “lifeline” to its possessions in Asia.

Britain turned from an agricultural economy to an industrial at the beginning of the 19’th century. As British industry flourished it became more and more dependent on raw materials, food was taken from colonies and overseas markets were needed for the export of British goods

All in all, the economic prosperity, if not national survival of Britain was directly connected to imperial system.

But France was in different position. She was not preoccupied with possessing and defending overseas colonies to the extent that British was. Because France was self-sufficient in foods and was far behind Britain in industrial development.

France was foremost preoccupied with continental affairs. 1’st reason was the powerful German Empire, which emerged in Europe at the expense of France (France was defeated in Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871)). Therefore France tried to get its investments flow into Eastern European states, Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire with the aim of surrounding Germany with the ring of friendly states and states dependent on France’s financial support (French policy of containment Germany).

=However the French preoccupation with Germany in continental Europe did not prevent her from colonial expansion.

=at beginning of the 20’th century France became the 2’nd largest colonial empire in the world (1/3 of Africa, in Asia French Indochina and a few island chains).

This was the result of searching for prestige, than searching for markets and row materials. Because France, being defeated in Europe by Germany, sought the psychological compensation of colonial conquest. The engine, motor of this colonial policy was the military commanders and merchants (who pursued their own interests), than official government in Paris. One observer described French Empire as having built by “bored army officers looking for excitement” (another one added) “and by railroad builders and traders in search of quick profits”.

=Germany wanted that French and British colonial policies would collide and both would clash with each other.

=France pursued the policy of “containment and deterring Germany” until the beginning of the European integration process aftermath the WW2. She regarded establishing of Yugoslavia as an independent state and a number of Eastern and Central European states as an important element of this policy.

-British fortunes suffered elsewhere during the “high tide of imperialism” from 1897 to 1907. The South African, or Boer, War (1899–1902) against the independent Boer republics of the South African interior proved longer and costlier than the British expected, and although they won the “dirty little war” the British saw their world position erode. Germany partitioned Samoa with the United States, and the latter annexed the Hawaiian Islands.

Germany abandoned her long apathy toward the Middle East and won a concession for Ottomans’ railroads. The Kaiser, influenced by his envy of Britain, his own fondness for seafaring, and the worldwide impact of “The Influence of Sea Power upon History” by the American naval scholar Alfred Mahan, determined that “Weltpolitik” was impossible without a great High Seas Fleet. The prospect of a large German navy—next to the growing fleets of France, Russia, Japan, and the United States—meant that Britain would no longer rule the waves alone.