First World War
The major powers for the first time in history, became involved in a war whose effects were felt around the world, the so-called First World War (1914-1918).
This advent expressed the degree of hegemony in Europe, especially its main industrial centers, respectively: England, Germany and France, and marked the beginning of the decline of that hegemony.
Europe exercised at the first war eve, a political and economic supremacy over the rest of the world, because besides the military, the war fleet and network of naval bases in the superiority of arms and the number of hosts, had also with the material and technical superiority, that it became a financial power that transformed the global bank, intellectual supremacy universally recognized.
England, Germany and France controlled 7/10 production capacity and skilled labor force, and 62% of world exports and 80% of capital investments abroad.
Only two countries on the globe, the United States and Japan, had accelerated economic growth, competing spheres of influence with European capitalism. But not represented danger to European hegemony.
The United States, even if left as winners of the conflict, for they have become creditors of the bankrupt Europe.
As for Japan, maintained its leading position in the Far East.
World War completely changed the political map of Europe and accelerated the emergence of the first socialist state of the world: the Soviet Union. This fact broke the capitalist unity in the world for a long time.
The main problem lay in the imperialist race and within the limits of the economic division of the world. A classic example was the German competition in the face of British supremacy.
Germany, following political unification, experienced a period of accelerated industrial development, especially in the fields of steel, chemical, transport and manufacturing of scientific instruments. That made it the main European power and led to compete with the hitherto dominant English trade.
But this economic growth has not been accompanied by corresponding structuring of a colonial empire to the greatness of the country, as across the globe had been shared by the nations who first industrialized.
Germany, however, refused to accept this as definitive, which has generated a latent state of tension between her and England. Each looked for an appropriate policy of alliances, neutralize the other.
Another focus of friction that led to the first war was located on the same continent and was characterized by constant tension in relations between France and Germany.
The conflict has spread from the month of August.
Japan declared war on Germany, interested in this possessions in the Far East. The Turkish Empire negotiated an alliance against the Russians, apoioada in Germany.
Italy, however, although it belonged to the Triple Alliance bloc, proclaimed neutrality until 1915, when he entered the conflict, did the whole of the Triple Entente.
Thus, countries at war were as follows: on the one hand Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other, the allies Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium and the British Empire.
With the development of the First World War, new nations were entering one or the other side: Turkey (1914) and Bulgaria (1915) joined the German and Austro-Hungarian; the Allies received support from Japan (1914), Italy (1915), Portugal and Romania (1916), United States, Greece and Brazil (1917).
The conflict took global character, extending the various continents as colonies of the major powers saw themselves involved in it.
The main stage of the war, however, was Europe.
SWING FIRST WORLD WAR
Just as the war spread to several continents, its effects also made in all corners of the globe, directly involving the civilian population, which suffered the dog of the bombings, invasions, epidemics and hunger.
The war, unlike what happened until then, was fought between industrial and trading powers, which greatly increased its destructive power: the face of conflict needs arose a warlike industry was improving every day.
The human losses were considerable and the most realistic estimates indicate a total of 13 million deaths in Europe, with Germany, Russia, France and Austria-Hungary had almost two million deaths each and England almost a million.
The United States, by contrast, was the country that lost less population: 115,000 people. The Americans were major beneficiaries of the conflict, therefore, to finance the war effort of the Allies, through the provision of heavy borrowing, put Europe in the meshes of a narrow economic dependence.
With the end of World War I, the United States walked to become thus the preponderant power on the planet.
Europe via begin its decline. It was forced to share with the United States world domination.
The end of the war brought deep economic crisis, with high inflation generating unemployment, caristia and misery.
KEY STAGES
- First phase (1914/1915): troop movements and balance between rival forces;
- Second phase (1915/1917): trench warfare;
- Third phase (1917-1918): American entry at the side of France and England, and Germany's defeat.
CONSEQUENCES OF FIRST WORLD WAR
- The emergence of new nations;
- Dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire;
- The hegemony of French militarism, as a result of German disarmament;
- Britain divided its maritime hegemony with the United States;
- The enrichment of the United States;
- The depreciation of the Deutschmark, which fell to the thousandth part of the value, and the low franc and the dollar;
- The rise of fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany .
REFERENCES
- RUE. Joseph Jobson A. Piletti. Nelson. All the history. General history and history of Brazil. Publisher Attica: 9th Edition.
- COTRIM. Gilberto. Global History: Brazil and General. Editora Saraiva. Single volume. 7th Edition: 2003 1st Drawing 2003.
- NADAI. Elza. NEVES. Joana. General History: Modern and Contemporary. Editora Saraiva.11th Edition, 1996.
Category: General history
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