Geopolitical Problems in 19th Century Europe - Essay Example

 1. Nationalism was the result of the French Revolution which led to the idea that people are the basis of sovereignty in state. Across Europe numerous radical intellectuals began to hesitant to monarchy and to promote nationalist ideas which were aimed at redistribution of the political map of the continent. Already in 1814 nationalism undermined the existing multinational empires. The French Revolution destroyed the traditional structures of power in France and territories conquered by Napoleon, it became a tool for political transformation of Europe. Ideals of European nationalism spread throughout the world and destroyed the colonial system. The French Revolution has announced not only the individual's right to freedom and equality, but also the right of nations to determine their own status. Wherever human rights and privileges were endangered under foreign rule, the requirement for freedom implied protection of national freedom from such foreign domination. Nationalism in the 19th century stood on three principles: - coincidence with the territory of the state of the nation; - expansion of the state to some "natural boundaries"; - state expansion to acquire profitable raw materials. Concept of the right to self-determination for the nations was served to justify the demands of stateless Eastern nations, including Poland, which lost its political freedom in the earlier centuries. This right sholud help to organize separate nation-states with their own governments including all their subjects. By 1815, nationalism has become one of the leading ideologies in the world. It was able to mobilize society in the transition to a capitalist economy, which led to an increase in the effectiveness of national states and the growth of their economic power. Young nations have also shown high efficiency with the military side. Professional army, consisting of subjects monarchs often suffered defeat from untrained civilian militia. In the 19th century, the supporters of ethnic nationalism believed that national unity must be based on a common ethnic origin, also it was believed that those who have a different origin, by definition, cannot be part of the national culture. Europe in the 19th century had several large multinational empires such as Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czarist Russia and Imperial Germany. Within these empires were existed numerous national minorities that feel themselves oppressed, exploited and abused. Their reaction was resistance to a stronger and more powerful nationalism. However, in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe nationalism arose as a reaction to the French occupation and initially wore an expression of cultural-ethnic character. In particular, the revolutionary wave of 1848 originated pan-Slavism. Bismarck's unification of Germany, as well as the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, have been implemented in line with the Pan-Germans. Over time, ethnic nationalism has incorporated elements of xenophobia and racism. In the second half of the 19th century nationalism began to undermine the integrity of the Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman empires, which eventually broke up after the First World War. Nationalism became the main source of military conflicts in Europe, because all the wars that were fought between 1815 and 1914 were somehow connected with the process of national delimitation. During these wars were united Germany and Italy; Greeks, Bulgarians, Romanians, Serbs, Montenegrins gained independence from the Ottoman Empire and established their own states. 2. In the two decades after World War I in the world, especially in Europe, have accumulated severe economic, social, political and national problems. As in the 19th century, one of the main geopolitical problems in Europe was the objective pursuit of the Germans that lived apart from Germany: in Austria, Czechoslovakia and France that wanted to unite into a single nation-state. Furthermore, according to many German politicians Germany after the defeat in World War I sought to regain lost territories as a world power. Thus were created particularly favorable conditions for the growth of a new wave of German expansionism. Also was maintained rivalry of other states because of their desire for redistribution of spheres of influence in the world. World economic crises in the 1920-30s accelerated buildup of military-political confrontation in the world. These factors were all contributory to the current situation that exists today and power structures among nations can be seen to have evolved from these experiences. Social crisis of the first postwar years became one of the key circumstances of fascism as a political movement that aimed at disrupting the revolutionary upsurge of the masses to distract them from the struggle for genuine democracy, to strengthen the faltering power of the bourgeoisie by establishing a totalitarian form of government. Another condition was the extreme dissatisfaction with the number of capitalist countries of the postwar world, which was imposed by the strongest Entente powers - Britain, France and the USA. According to the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Germany was deprived of one eighth part of its territory, as well as colonial possessions. In addition, Germany was ordered to reduce its armed forces to a minimum and to pay huge reparations payments. Similarly, the Allies came and former allies of Germany - Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. Postwar peace treaties have not removed the contradictions in the camp of the victors. Thus, the Italian bourgeoisie considered themselves deceived and deprived: their calculations on the territorial acquisitions in the Balkans at the expense of the South Slavic lands were not fulfilled. All these political decisions were vital in the transformation of the opinions among members of the community and their views towards other nationalities. Other conditions for the start of the war originated in Asia. During World War I, Japan was able to capture a series of Chinese territories which before the war were controlled Germany. In 1922, Washington hosted an international conference where Japan politics signed the "Nine-Power Treaty". According to this agreement in relation to China, Japan had a policy of "open doors" and "equal opportunities". This document dealt a blow to the Japanese claims to expand the sphere of influence in China. Japanese entrepreneurs could not compete in the world market with U.S. and British monopolies by peaceful means. Tokyo was not satisfied with "Washington Naval Treaty" that were signed under U.S. pressure. Under this treaty, Japan could not have battleships in excess of 2/3 of the number of American and British ships of the same class. Thus, the Versailles system put an end to World War I, but does not solve the deep-seated contradictions in the world. References Frank E. Smitha. Japan's Power Arrangement with the West. World history and timeline (2014). Last modified http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch10-japan5a.htm Read More