...of Europe but the entire world. These developments manifested in the form of the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Nationalism in the region. The political landscape was further transformed through Austria’s attempts to secure its imperial integrity and Russia’s evolving ideology of Pan-Slavism and territorial expansion. These developing trends threatened the sustainability of the centuries-old ‘Balance of Power’ in Europe and caused extreme tension and stress in the Balkan region. War seemed inevitable and only a ‘spark’ was required to set off the fuse.1 The dreaded stimulus was soon provided through the assassination of the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie at Sarajevo in June 1914. The casus belli that the assassination presented Austria was too good to be missed. The prospects of an all-out war also aligned with Germans desire for establishing their military supremacy in the region. Hence they became actively engaged in the ensuing July Crisis and staunchly supported Austria. The Kaiser offered a ‘blank cheque’ to its ally.2 Unbeknown to many, the stage was set for the catastrophic World War 1. Background The Ottoman Empire had progressively conquered the Balkans starting in the fourteenth century leading up to the height of its expansion in the seventeenth.3 They were opposed by various forces in Europe such as the Byzantine Empire, Hungary and Poland. Though...
Words: 3430 - Pages: 14
...Capital and largest city | Budapest 47°26′N 19°15′E | Official languages | Hungarian | Ethnic groups (2001[1]) | * 92% Hungarians * 2% Roma * 6% others | Demonym | Hungarian | Government | Parliamentary republic | - | President | János Áder | - | Prime Minister | Viktor Orbán | - | Speaker of the National Assembly | László Kövér | Legislature | National Assembly | Foundation | - | Foundation | 895 | - | Christian kingdom | 1000 | - | Secession from Austria-Hungary | 1918 | - | Current republic | 23 October 1989 | Area | - | Total | 93,030 km2 (109th) 35,919 sq mi | - | Water (%) | 0.74% | Population | - | June 2012 estimate | 9,942,000[2] (84th) | - | Oct 2011 census | 9,982,000[3] | - | Density | 107.2/km2 (94th) 279.0/sq mi | GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate | - | Total | $195.640 billion[4] | - | Per capita | $19,891[4] | GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate | - | Total | $140.303 billion[4] | - | Per capita | $13,045[4] | Gini (2008) | 24.96 (low / 3rd) | HDI (2011) | 0.816[5] (very high / 38th) | Currency | Forint (HUF) | Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | Date format | * yyyy.mm.dd * yyyy.mm.dd (CE) | Drives on the | Right | Calling code | +36 | ISO 3166 code | HU | Internet TLD | .hua | a. | Also .eu as part of the European Union. | Hungary i/ˈhʌŋɡəri/ (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ( listen)) is a landlocked country in Central...
Words: 14260 - Pages: 58
...If it was to be weakened, it would have negatively affected his position within Russia’s social hierarchy. Ironically, with the devastation that World War One was to cause in Russia, it was Rasputin who told Nicholas not to go to war as he had predicted that Russia would be defeated. Rasputin had always clashed with the Duma. They saw his position within the monarchy as a direct threat to themselves. Alexandra responded to their complaints about Rasputin’s power by introducing legislation that further limited their power. In September 1915, their representatives met Nicholas at his military headquarters to express their opinions that there was no government ministry back in the cities that had the confidence of the people. He told them to go back to St. Petersburg and carry on working. At the end of September, another group went to see Nicholas to ask for a government that had the people’s confidence. After this, Rasputin’s power in St Petersburg was unbeatable. As long as he had the support of the tsarina, he had power as Alexandra all but dominated her husband. As long as Alexis, the male heir to...
Words: 1377 - Pages: 6
...The Balkan Crisis represents a series of tensions in the region that arose, in part, due to the decline of the Ottoman regime in Europe. This culminated in the 1908 annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary and the Balkan Wars preceding World War I. While not directly causing WWI, these events laid the foundations for disputes amongst the Great Powers as well as solidifying the existing Bismarckian alliance system. Furthermore, the competing nationalistic interests manifested themselves in the Balkan Wars which were largely a war for control of Macedonia, under the guise of liberation from Ottoman rule. The role of nationalism was not the traditionally espoused Serbian aggression, but political elites in all European states using nationalism as a vehicle to manipulate their populations. The Balkan Wars deserve study because they show the burgeoning role of nationalism in European politics and set the precedent for events that unfolded later in the twentieth century. Historians often attribute nationalism as one of the major causative factors WWI. This statement cannot be blindly accepted because although nationalism is clearly one of the dominant trends of the twentieth century, it was still in its infancy before WWI. The decision to go to war is decided by rulers, not at least initially by the populace. Therefore, nationalism is worthy of definition, especially with respect to a region as complex as the Balkans, where these issues are still a problem today. Although...
Words: 2517 - Pages: 11
...The Velvet Divorce: An Economic Analysis of Cause and Effect In light of EU enlargement and discussion of the Eurozone, Czechoslovakia has emerged as a role model for comparison. The two central European countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia present an interesting case study on the optimum currency area and on political unification. Despite economic, social and demographical convergence as well as an overwhelming majority opinion in favor of unification, the two countries split less than five years of having political autonomy. Following their split, Slovakia and the Czech Republic took different approaches towards approaching a market-economy, yielding somewhat surprising results. This paper will analyze the viability of Czechoslovakia as an optimum currency area, recount its history in the context of economic and political differences, and then illustrate how differences in political philosophy affected their economies today. Unlike most other research this paper aims to prove that, while political differences may have been the deciding factor in dissolution, it was really economic differences between the two, originating from geographic differences and early history, that necessitated the divorce. Economic Analysis and the Optimum Currency Area When analyzing the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, and particular when searching for truth as to its cause, it’s important to note that it was in fact a two part split – first the political union and then the monetary...
Words: 3790 - Pages: 16
...GCE History |Contents |Page | | | | |Unit A2 1: Option 1, Anglo–Spanish Relations 1509–1609 |5 | |Unit A2 1: Option 2, Crown and Parliament in England 1600–1702 The Changing Role and |17 | |Status of Parliament | | | |37 | |Unit A2 1: Option 3, Liberalism and Nationalism 1815–1914 | | |Unit A2 1: Option 4, Nationalism and Unionism in Ireland 1800–1900 |51 | |Unit A2 1: Option 5, The Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000 |67 | Introduction CCEA has developed new GCE specifications for first teaching from September 2008. This scheme of work has been designed to support...
Words: 15150 - Pages: 61
...emphasis will be placed on the relationship between the rise of liberalism and nationalism, the industrial revolution, and the emergence of modern political systems in Europe. Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Political history of France : Chapter 2 Political history of Germany: Chapter 3 Political history of Great Britain: Chapter 4 Political history of Italy: Chapter 5 Political history of Spain: Introduction In studying political history of European states, we put a focus on the beginning of the 18th century as a starting point in the rise of major European powers in the face of waning non-Western empires, which led to the consequent politicization of the region as a whole, raising the stakes in the division and distribution of resources, areas of influence and geostrategic waterways. During the 18th century, Europe has seen the rise of despotic monarchies in some of the European...
Words: 24910 - Pages: 100
...AP EUROPEAN HISTORY NOTES- Filled with silliness and inside jokes, enjoy at your leisure :) If something is in [] brackets, it is only written in there for our pleasure, ignore it if you are looking for actual information. Key: • 7: The Renaissance and Reformation- 1350-1600 UMSUniversal o Georgio Vasari- Rinascita=rebirth (like Renaissance) painter/architect Male Suffrage o Individualism: People sought to receive personal credit for achievements, unlike medieval ideal of “all glory goes to god” Names Ideas o Renaissance: Began in Italian city-states, a cause de invention of the printing press, laid way for Protestant Reformation Events Books/Texts Italy: City states, under HRE (Holy Roman Empire) o For alliances: old nobility vs. wealthy merchants FIGHT P-Prussia Popolo: third class, “the people”, wanted own share of wealth/power R-Russia A-Austria Ciompi Revolts: 1378 Florence, Popolo were revolting [eew], brief period of control over government B-Britain Milan taken over by signor (which is a tyrant) • o Under control of the Condottiero (mercenary) Sforza- Significant because after this, a few wealthy families dominated Venice (e.g. Medici) Humanism: Francesco Petrarch (Sonnets), came up with term “Dark Ages”, began to study classical world of rhetoric and literature Cicero: Important Roman, provided account of collapse of Roman Republic [like Edward Gibbon], invented Ciceronian style: Latin style of writing...
Words: 17289 - Pages: 70
...AS LEVEL Specification HISTORY A H105 For first assessment in 2016 ocr.org.uk/alevelhistorya We will inform centres about any changes to the specification. We will also publish changes on our website. The latest version of our specification will always be the one on our website (ocr.org.uk) and this may differ from printed versions. Copyright © 2014 OCR. All rights reserved. Copyright OCR retains the copyright on all its publications, including the specifications. However, registered centres for OCR are permitted to copy material from this specification booklet for their own internal use. Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England. Registered company number 3484466. Registered office: Hills Road 1 Cambridge CB1 2EU. OCR is an exempt charity. Contents Introducing… AS Level History A (from September 2015) Teaching and learning resources iv Why choose an OCR AS Level in History A? 1 1a. Why choose an OCR qualification? 1 1b. Why choose an OCR AS Level in History A? 2 1c. What are the key features of this specification? 3 1d. 2 iii Professional Development 1 ii How do I find out more information? 3 4 2a. Overview of AS Level in History A (H105) 4 2b. Content of AS Level in History A (H105) 5 2c. Content of unit group 1: British period study and enquiry (Units Y131 to Y143) 8 2c. ...
Words: 21136 - Pages: 85
...Higher Level History Notes 19th Century Russia The Russian people are descendants of the ‘Rus’ who are thought to be a mixture of Scandinavian and Slavic origin and settled in that region out of ± 800 AD Byzantine Empire A major legacy of the Byzantine Empire for the Russians was the eastern orthodox or Greek Orthodox Church With the decline of Byzantium came a wave of conquest from the East, the Mongols until the 15th century (Tatars). To a large extent, the Mongols allowed Russians to maintain their way of life: - Slavic based languages including writing system (Cyrillic) - Orthodox religion The Russians adopted much from Asian culture and this led western Europeans to think less of the Russians Geographically Russia was isolated from the rest of Europe: - Entirely land locked (mostly) - Huge Plains of Eastern Europe prevented overland travel During these early years there were a series of muscovite princes based in Moscow and called themselves Tsars. By the 17th century the Romanov family became the ruling dynasty: - Alexander I (1801-1825) - Nicholas I (1825-1855) - Alexander II (1855-1881) - Alexander III (1881-1894) - Nicholas II (1894-1917) Under the rule of Peter the Great (1689-1728) Russia grew greatly in size and entered the European World www.ibscrewed.org The Russia of 1800 was one of the greatest autocracies in Europe where: - The Tsar’s rule was absolute - There was a small...
Words: 32400 - Pages: 130
...Adolf Hitler (German: [ˈadɔlf ˈhɪtlɐ]; 20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Führer ("leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He was effectively dictator of Nazi Germany, and was a central figure of World War II in Europe and the Holocaust. Hitler was a decorated veteran of World War I. He joined the precursor of the NSDAP, the German Workers' Party, in 1919 and became leader of the NSDAP in 1921. In 1923, he attempted a coup in Munich to seize power. The failed coup resulted in Hitler's imprisonment, during which time he dictated his autobiography and political manifesto Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"). After his release in 1924, Hitler gained popular support by attacking the Treaty of Versailles and promoting Pan-Germanism, anti-Semitism, and anti-communism with charismatic oratory and Nazi propaganda. Hitler frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as being part of a Jewish conspiracy. Hitler's Nazi Party became the largest elected party in the German Reichstag, leading to his appointment as chancellor in 1933. Following fresh elections won by his coalition, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, which began the process of transforming the Weimar Republic into Nazi Germany, a one-party dictatorship based on the totalitarian and autocratic ideology of National Socialism. Hitler aimed to eliminate Jews from Germany and establish a...
Words: 13618 - Pages: 55
...Bloodlines of Illuminati by: Fritz Springmeier, 1995 Introduction: I am pleased & honored to present this book to those in the world who love the truth. This is a book for lovers of the Truth. This is a book for those who are already familiar with my past writings. An Illuminati Grand Master once said that the world is a stage and we are all actors. Of course this was not an original thought, but it certainly is a way of describing the Illuminati view of how the world works. The people of the world are an audience to which the Illuminati entertain with propaganda. Just one of the thousands of recent examples of this type of acting done for the public was President Bill Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union address. The speech was designed to push all of the warm fuzzy buttons of his listening audience that he could. All the green lights for acceptance were systematically pushed by the President’s speech with the help of a controlled congressional audience. The truth on the other hand doesn’t always tickle the ear and warm the ego of its listeners. The light of truth in this book will be too bright for some people who will want to return to the safe comfort of their darkness. I am not a conspiracy theorist. I deal with real facts, not theory. Some of the people I write about, I have met. Some of the people I expose are alive and very dangerous. The darkness has never liked the light. Yet, many of the secrets of the Illuminati are locked up tightly simply because secrecy is a way...
Words: 206477 - Pages: 826