Empires before World War I | Khan Academy

Summary

This script explores the complexities of World War I, emphasizing how the pre-WWI world was vastly different from today's, with empires like the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman shaping the landscape. It highlights the Austro-Hungarian Empire's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ottoman Empire's influence over the Middle East as key factors leading to the war. The script contrasts the ethnic and linguistic nation-states of modern Europe with the empire-driven world of the early 20th century, illustrating the significant changes brought about by the two World Wars.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The study of World War I can be confusing due to the significant differences between the world leading up to it and the modern world, which was largely shaped by the war and its aftermath.
• 🗺️ Modern Europe's country boundaries closely align with linguistic ones, reflecting a post-WWI reorganization towards national self-determination.
• 🏰 The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multi-ethnic entity that annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, an act that had significant implications leading up to WWI.
• 🔍 The desire to unite linguistically and ethnically similar groups was a catalyst for the tensions that eventually sparked WWI.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The United Kingdom, or the British Empire, had a vast global reach, controlling significant portions of Africa, Asia, and other territories, contributing to the pre-WWI power dynamics.
• ⚔️ An arms race and competition for empire among European powers, particularly between the British and German empires, escalated tensions prior to WWI.
• 🏰 The Ottoman Empire, which once controlled much of the Muslim world, was in decline by the early 20th century, with its remnants including modern-day Turkey and parts of the Middle East.
• 🌐 The world before WWI was characterized by empires rather than nation-states, with entities like the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires holding sway over diverse ethnic groups.
• 🔥 The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a critical event that, along with other factors, fueled the 'powder keg' that was WWI.
• 🌐 The complex interplay of empires, ethnic tensions, and competition for resources set the stage for the global conflict that was WWI.

Q & A

Why is the study of World War I sometimes confusing?

The study of World War I can be confusing because the world was very different leading up to it compared to today, and the modern world, especially Europe, was largely shaped by the events of World War I and later World War II.

How do modern European country boundaries relate to linguistic boundaries?

In modern Europe, country boundaries closely match linguistic boundaries, with most countries having distinct areas where specific languages are spoken, such as French or German.

What was unique about the Austro-Hungarian Empire leading up to World War I?

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was unique because it was an empire that tried to cobble together various ethnicities and linguistic groups, which was a complex and challenging endeavor.

Why was the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire significant?

The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire was significant because it involved a region with strong linguistic and ethnic connections to Serbia, which contributed to the tensions leading up to World War I.

How did the desire to connect people with similar ethnic or linguistic backgrounds contribute to World War I?

The desire to connect people with similar ethnic or linguistic backgrounds led to nationalistic movements and tensions, which were a spark that fueled the events leading up to World War I.

What was the extent of the Ottoman Empire at the onset of World War I?

At the onset of World War I, the Ottoman Empire consisted of modern-day Turkey and much of the modern Middle East, including parts of the Arab world around Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel, as well as some regions in Saudi Arabia.

How did the empires of the late 1800s differ from the nation-states of today?

The empires of the late 1800s, such as the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, were vast and included diverse ethnic and linguistic groups, unlike today's nation-states which are often defined by more homogenous ethnic and linguistic boundaries.

What was the role of the British Empire in the lead-up to World War I?

The British Empire played a significant role in the lead-up to World War I by being involved in an arms race and empire-building competition with other major powers, which contributed to the tensions and alliances that shaped the conflict.

Why were resources and raw materials important in the context of World War I?

Resources and raw materials, especially oil, were crucial in defining the power and influence of a nation during the period leading up to World War I, as they were essential for military and industrial capabilities.

How did the arms race between European powers contribute to the conditions leading up to World War I?

The arms race between European powers increased tensions and competition, leading to a build-up of military forces and alliances that eventually contributed to the outbreak of World War I.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 World War I and the Changing Geopolitical Landscape

This paragraph discusses the complexity of understanding World War I due to the significant differences between the world leading up to the war and the modern world. It highlights how World War I, along with World War II, shaped the current geopolitical landscape, particularly in Europe. The speaker uses a map of modern Europe to illustrate how national boundaries often align with linguistic ones, which was not the case before World War I. The paragraph then contrasts this with the pre-World War I era, noting the existence of empires like the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, which annexed regions with diverse linguistic and ethnic groups, contributing to the tensions that led to the war.

05:01

🏰 The Legacy of Empires and the Prelude to World War I

The second paragraph delves into the existence of empires at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, emphasizing their impact on the world before World War I. It focuses on the British Empire, which was vast and influential, controlling significant territories including the Indian subcontinent, parts of Africa, and various other regions. The paragraph also mentions the German Empire's rise and militarization, which contributed to an arms race among European powers. The speaker discusses the motivations behind empire building, including the desire for power, resources, and the influence of ethnic beliefs. The paragraph sets the stage for understanding the complex dynamics that led to the outbreak of World War I.

Keywords

💡World War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, was a global war that lasted from 1914 to 1918. It involved many of the world's major powers, organized into two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers. The war began in Europe and spread worldwide, affecting more than 100 million people. In the video, World War I is central to understanding how the modern world, particularly Europe, was shaped. The script discusses how the war led to the reconfiguration of political boundaries and the rise of nationalistic sentiments.

💡Modern Europe

Modern Europe refers to the current state of the European continent, including its political, cultural, and geographical makeup. The video uses a map of modern Europe to illustrate how country boundaries often align with linguistic and ethnic boundaries, a contrast to the situation before World War I. The script highlights that understanding the current configuration of Europe is key to grasping the historical changes brought about by the wars.

💡Linguistic Boundaries

Linguistic boundaries refer to the geographical areas where specific languages are spoken. The video script mentions that in modern Europe, these boundaries often coincide with national borders, which was not the case before World War I. The concept is used to explain the shift from empires to nation-states and the impact of this change on the political landscape.

💡Austro-Hungarian Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a dual monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918, consisting of the Kingdom of Hungary and the rest of the Habsburg territories. The script emphasizes the empire's significance in understanding the origins of World War I, particularly its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was a catalyst for the war due to its ethnic and linguistic complexities.

💡Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a state that lasted from 1299 to 1922, centered in Turkey and at its height, controlling much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. The video script uses the Ottoman Empire to illustrate the pre-World War I geopolitical landscape, showing how its remnants influenced the war and the subsequent redrawing of borders in the Middle East.

💡Empire

An empire is a group of territories under a single ruler or government, often extending across continents and incorporating diverse ethnic groups. The video discusses several empires, including the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and British Empires, to show how they competed for resources and influence, leading to tensions that contributed to World War I.

💡Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, often seeking to promote its interests above others. The script connects the rise of nationalism to the desire to unite people with similar ethnic or linguistic backgrounds, which was a driving force behind many of the conflicts leading to World War I.

💡Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1908 is highlighted in the video as a pivotal event leading to World War I. The act was controversial because it involved the absorption of a region with strong ethnic and linguistic ties to Serbia, setting the stage for the war's outbreak.

💡British Empire

The British Empire was the largest empire in history, spanning a vast area across several continents. The video script mentions the British Empire to contrast the pre-World War I era of empires with the modern nation-state system. It also points out the empire's role in the arms race and competition for resources that contributed to the war.

💡Arms Race

An arms race is a competition between nations to increase the size and quality of their military forces. The video script describes the arms race between the European powers, particularly the British and German Empires, as a significant factor leading to World War I. The escalating military buildup created a tense atmosphere that made the war more likely.

💡Resource Control

Resource control refers to the ability of a nation or group to exert power and influence through the possession and management of valuable materials. In the context of the video, resource control is discussed as a motivation behind empire building and the arms race, with access to raw materials and oil being crucial for a nation's power and status.

Highlights

Studying World War I can be confusing due to the significant differences between the world then and now.

The modern world, particularly Europe, was largely shaped by the outcomes of World War I and II.

Modern Europe's country boundaries often align with linguistic boundaries, unlike the past.

Exceptions to the alignment of country and language boundaries can lead to regional issues, as seen with Catalan and Spanish.

Prior to World War I, the map of Europe looked very different, with empires dominating the continent.

Germany's boundaries were notably different at the start of World War I, with the German Empire controlling various linguistic groups.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a significant entity prior to World War I, comprising diverse ethnicities and languages.

The annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1908 was a pivotal event leading up to World War I.

The desire to unite people with similar ethnic or linguistic backgrounds was a driving force behind the events of World War I.

The Ottoman Empire, which included much of the modern Middle East and parts of the Balkans, was in decline by the start of World War I.

The British Empire was the most dominant empire globally, controlling vast territories including India, Africa, and parts of the Middle East.

An arms race and competition for empire building characterized the period leading up to World War I.

Empire building was often driven by a combination of ego, influence, and access to resources like raw materials and oil.

The complex interplay of empires and ethnic groups set the stage for the conflicts that would unfold in World War I.

Transcripts

A lot of people, including myself,

have found the study of World War

I to be a little bit confusing sometimes.

And I think the reason is is the world

was very different leading up to World War I than it is today.

And to some degree, the modern world we live in

was shaped to a large degree by Word War

I and then later World War II.

And just to get a sense of what our modern world looks like,

and especially what modern Europe looks like,

this is a map of modern Europe.

But the interesting thing about this map

is instead of being the traditional map that you

normally see where you just see the country boundaries,

the state boundaries, this has the state boundaries right

here.

And these little gray lines, these show

where France ends and, say, Switzerland or Germany or Italy

begins.

But overlain on top of that we see

where the languages are spoken.

So this is actually much more focused on,

where do people speak French.

Where do people speak German?

And the thing that you will notice is, for the most part,

throughout most of Europe, today's boundaries,

the modern boundaries closely, closely match

up to where languages are spoken.

There are a few areas where there

is more of a disconnect with Catalan and Spanish.

And actually, that is leading to some issues.

But for the most part, in modern Europe,

the country boundaries and the linguistic boundaries

or the national boundaries kind of match up.

If we rewind to the world of entering into World War I,

things were very different.

Some of the boundaries we recognize.

We recognize the United Kingdom.

Well, Ireland has since been carved out.

But we recognize it as not being that

different than it is today.

Spain is not that different.

France is not that different.

Italy is not that different.

Germany is a good bit different.

In fact, if you take Germany, the German Empire entering

into World War I, or the early 1900s,

around 1914, between them and the Russian Empire,

they essentially were swallowing up a bunch of linguistic groups

right over here that now have their own independent states.

The other thing that you might notice

is this huge state called Austria-Hungary, or often

called the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

And people say, well, there's-- I'm familiar with some of these

nations that have the word Austria and Hungary in them,

but I'm not-- what is this Austro-Hungarian Empire?

And what's interesting about it is it really was an empire.

It was really trying to cobble together

all of these folks that spoke all different-- all

the different types of ethnicities.

This is kind of a zoom-in of the Austro-Hungarian Empire leading

into World War I.

And the Austro-Hungarian Empire is probably the most important

thing to understand if we're trying

to get a sense of how World War I started, because leading up

to World War I, in 1908, the Austro-Hungarian

Empire formally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And that's another confusing thing for many of us,

that that's actually one country.

It's called Bosnia and Herzegovina,

or I guess for the Austro-Hungarians that was now

one region that they annexed.

And what's interesting about that

is if you look at the linguistic map,

you see that this whole region right over here

speaks a very similar-- essentially, they're

dialects of Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian.

They're all very linguistically and ethnically connected,

so this whole region right over here

is linguistically and ethnically connected.

And what we'll see is, is that this desire

to connect people with similar ethnic or linguistic roots--

linguistic backgrounds is what led to a lot of what happened

in World War-- or at least was the spark that

fueled, that people sometimes say,

the powder keg of World War I.

The other thing that was a very different

or the other country or nation or empire

that we are not used to today is the Ottoman Empire.

So if we go today, we see the country

of Turkey, which is on the Anatolian Peninsula.

So this is Turkey right over here.

This is modern-day Turkey.

But entering into World War I in 1914,

Turkey was essentially part of the remnants of the Ottoman

Empire.

So this right over here is what the Ottoman Empire looked like.

This right over here is roughly modern-day Turkey.

But the Ottoman Empire consisted of modern-day Turkey

and much of the modern Middle East.

So much of-- especially, much of the Arab-- especially

the Arab world around Syria, Iraq, Lebanon,

much of what where modern-day Israel is,

some of Saudi Arabia.

And this was really the dying state of the Ottoman Empire.

At its peak, it controlled much of the Muslim world.

It controlled Northern Africa as well as all the stuff

you see here and even a little bit of Persia

and actually a good bit of the Balkans, southeast Europe,

and even Greece at the peak of its Ottoman Empire.

And now I'm talking about going hundreds and hundreds of years

back into the past.

So when we enter into World War II,

we don't have a world where people are,

where states are defined by linguistic boundaries

or by ethnic boundaries.

To a large degree, we had these empires

that had existed as we exited out of the 1800s.

And these empires were not just in Europe,

like the Austro-Hungarian Empire or not just in the Middle East,

like the Ottoman Empire.

Right over here is an empire map at around that point in time.

And you see, probably the most dominant feature here

is the British Empire.

That's in this pink color.

So British, that's the United Kingdom.

Great Britain would just be this right over here.

You throw in Ireland.

You get the United Kingdom.

Great Britain was in control of the Indian,

the entire Indian subcontinent. It was essentially

although nominally Egypt was somewhat independent,

Great Britain had a huge amount of influence here.

Obviously places like Canada and Australia and New Zealand

were under control of or a part of the British Empire.

What a lot of people don't realize

is a significant amount of Africa as well.

A significant amount of Africa was also under British control.

And what we have running up into World War

I is kind of a race for empire, an arms

race between the major powers of Europe.

In particular, you have Great Britain, or the United Kingdom,

that obviously had a vast empire.

The sun never sets on the British Empire.

And it wasn't ever setting on this empire

that we just saw here.

And the German Empire was also starting to flex its muscle

and starting to militarize.

And the more that the German saw that the British were

militarizing, the more that the British--

the more that the Germans would want to militarize and vice

versa, and you just had this arms race.

And they were all trying to build their empires.

So the Germans, they were present in Africa.

You have the French who were present in much of Africa.

And you have to remember all of this in context.

Some of this empire building was, frankly, just about ego

and just about spreading someone's influence,

spreading their power.

A lot of it was based on ethnic beliefs about civilization.

I guess these were rationalization to take control

of other people's resources.

And a lot of it was we were in a world

where access to resources-- in particular, access

to raw materials and especially oil-- could, to some degree,

define whether a power was a power at all.

And so with that, I think we have a pretty good basis

for the state of affairs as we enter into World War I.