History According to Bullington:

The Study Guide

Test 1, Sept. 8-9: WWI and Handouts
Important note: Summarizing Bullington
lectures is a somewhat subjective process. They
are just slightly ADD. So these study guides are
an approximation of the subjectivity, anecdotes,
and opinion that he teaches; they come as close
as can be estimated to what’s on the tests.

I The PRAISE Model

Way to study multiple characteristics & causes of
an event

P olitics
R eligion
A rts → Most important acc. to Sir Kenneth
Clarke
I ntelligentsia
S ociety
E conomics → Most important acc. to Bullington
II Long Term-Causes of WWI: the four-part
list
The four most important and universal causes
of war, acc. to Bullington and A.J.P. Taylor.

Nationalism1 Sense of patriotic superiority; only extreme cases

are harmful, eg. Racism: “God is an Englishman”

Sub-category: Group of people, previously an imperial colony,

self-determination desiring independence. RESULT of imperialism.

Imperialism Economic and political dominance of one people

over another for economic gain.

NOT to be confused
Colonialism, the spreading of a people to
with:
unoccupied land.
Militarism Stopping of diplomatic relations in favor of
glorification of war—leads to an arms race.

Alliances2 System of hypothetical agreements in which each

nation promises to help the other in case of war

III European Revolutions, pre-war period

Agricultural:
Genetic experimentation → More Food
More Food → Population growth
Industrial:
Machines replace People
Economic wealth leads to social status

Spencerism: aka “Social Darwinism” –

Some people are smarter and thus
superior to others;

WEALTH = SUPERIORITY

e.g., CASTA system in Spain; divided by birth,

but as economics and capitalism change,
wealth becomes a factor.

PRE-WWI: GERMANY leads economic

market.
Remember, NATIONALISM:
Determined by Ethnicity, Religion, and
Racism.

IV World War I Alliances

Dates are for relative purposes only; don’t worry much
about them.

1873: Three Emperors’ League

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia
1879: Dual Alliance
Germany + A-H
Defensive against Russia; neutral to France
1882: Dual → Triple Alliance
(Italy joins)

Then Bismarck gets fired.

Three Emperor’s League changes: Russia out.

New Dual Alliance: Opposing the Triple Alliance

Russia + France

Boer War: Britain is feeling isolated—they

try, and fail, to ally with Germany

1904: Entente cordiale

Britain + France: big shock to Europe!

1907: Entente cordiale becomes Triple

Entente
Russia joins Britain and France
 Germany sees this as encirclement.

Pre-WWI: Irredentia/Treaty of London

Italy leaves Triple Alliance for Triple
Entente
Because they are promised Adriatic land.

No firm statements existed about what would

happen if war broke out. Acc. to Fitzgerald, “the
alliances were not rigid or static”—which meant
anything could happen.

ALLIANCES as of July 28, 1914

Triple Entente Triple Alliance
Britain Germany
France A-H
Russia (Bulgaria)

ITALY: Now allied with Entente.

V Events leading to War in Europe

1. Annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovinia by A-
H, 1908
Imperialism leads to self-determination!
“Union or Death” and “Black Hand Society”
Pan-Slavism

2. First and Second Moroccan Crises

1st: Algercias conference: Germany
isolated.
2nd: Germany resorts to militarism

3. First and Second Balkan Wars, 1912-1913

Slavs and Greeks v. Ottoman Empire

IMPORTANT: Ottoman Empire = SICK

MAN OF EUROPE!
4. 28 June 1914: Assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand at Sarajevo (in Serbia) by Gavrillo
Princip

This IS an important date. Memorize

it.

VI War begins: Characters and Actions

1. Austria-Hungary blames Serbia for assass’n:

24-HOUR IMPOSSIBLE ULTIMATUM3 (see last
page)

2. A-H diplomats von Holtzendorf and von

Berchtold go to Germany to ask assistance of
German diplomat Bethmon-Holweig
->BLANK CHECQUE from Germany—huge
incentive to A-H!

3. 28 July: Franz Josef declares war on Serbia.

A-H mobilizes half its troops—the true
first act of war

4. Russia, “protector of the Slavic people,”

reluctantly follows suit:
Russia mobilizes against A-H to
defend Serbia

5. Kaiser Wilhelm thinks Russia is mobilizing

directly against Germany, so Germany
mobilizes against Russia

A.J.P. Taylor: “Once the trains start

moving, they cannot be stopped.”

Germany forms SCHLIEFFEN PLAN:

France is Germany’s greatest threat;
troops are concentrated there.
Russia is second.

To attack France, Germany will go through

Belgium, around Paris, and toward
French/German border from behind.

Last-minute peace attempt: by the Kaiser

Offer of Alsace-Lorraine (then belonging to
Germany) for French neutrality

Helmut von Moltke in Stoessinger: the

IRON DICE are rolling. It’s too late to stop.
Peace attempt is abandoned.
1 AUGUST 1914
German Troops enter Luxembourg through
Lichtenstein, heading for France.
“God Help Us.”

End Test Timeline

Special Notes

1: Bullington considers Nationalism, and

especially the desire for self-determination, the
most important of the four causes of war.

2: Fitzgerald claims that the confusing lattice of

Alliances were the most important cause, or at
least excuse, for war.

3: Austria-Hungary’s Impossible Ultimatum to

Serbia:
1 Dissolution of Serbian Nationalist
Groups
2 Dismissal of Key Military Officers
3 Arrest of leading politicians
4 24 hour response

That’s it for the study guide!

Other advised study materials:

Three readings: Fitzerald pts 1 and 2, and
Stoessinger’s Iron Dice
Lecture notes
Bullington one-page summary handout