Explaining WWI with IR theory

1. And all this madness, all this rage, all this flaming death of our civilization andour hopes, has been brought about because a set of official gentlemen, livingluxurious lives, mostly stupid, and all without imagination or heart, have chosenthat it should occur rather than that any one of them should suffersome infinitesimal rebuff to his country's pride.-Bertrand Russell

2. Explaining WWI with IR theory Town of Ypres, France 1917

5. Shell-pocked river front in France

6. The Consequences of war: German War Cemetery

7. A “Forrest” on the Western Front – France 1917

8. Let’s think of war in terms of probability. What increases or decreases the probability of war? Pr. (War) = System structure + state/domestic factors + individuals

9. System Structure • Multipolarity seems to raise chance of war • Balance of power became too rigid and polarized • Alliances spread threat – Who to ally with? • Combination of factors made it feel that war was inevitable

10. Europe in 1914

11. European Great Powers (minus Italy, which was not too ‘great’)

12. State/Domestic Factors • Ideology – Lack of democracy important? • France and UK mostly democratic • Nationalism – fuel poured on the spark, even people of democracies pro war • Pan-slavism, Germany, France, etc. • Threat of collapsing Empires: AH, Ottoman • Optimism regarding quick, victorious, glorious war

13. Individual Level Factors • Mediocre Leadership Kaiser Wilhelm Tsar Nicholas II

14. Belief war was inevitable • In the end, the war was not an accident but was a culmination of a series of decisions ending in the mobilization of troops and commitment to combat. • Were their other options not considered?

15. The Schlieffen Plan – German war plan to nock out French first

16. Germany never moved very far on Western Front, but defeated the Russians after three years in 1917

17. The end result was a very destructive war that may have been avoidable. More than 15 million people died. • Resulted in collapse of Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian Empires and accelerated the Russian Revolution. • Some believed the sophisticated states of Europe would never again engage in war since it was barbaric. They were wrong. • Sowed the seeds for World War Two • WWI was known as the “Great War”, the “War to End All Wars.” • What was learned from this experience?