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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 3:35:58 GMT
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Post by generalvikus on Nov 6, 2016 9:05:21 GMT
THE STATE OF THE WORLD IN 1898
1898 was a watershed year in the history of international politics. In that year, Joseph Chamerblain would begin the Anglo-German alliance negotiations, marking the high point of the relationship between Europe's two greatest powers. 1898 also marked the high point in tensions between Britain and France, as the two powers clashed over the future of the African continent at Fashoda.
The resolution of these events would turn the entire international dynamic on its head. The passing of Germany’s First Navy Law, also in 1898, would mark the starting point of the antagonism between those two countries, while the ending of the Fashoda Crisis would begin to warm relations between Britain and France. By 1904, Britain had gone from aligning with Germany against France to aligning with France against Germany – such was the nature of diplomacy at the time.
1898 also saw the Spanish – American war, and with it the entrance of America on to the world stage as an imperial power. While the conflict was minor and the American gains hardly consequential, it was a harbinger of things to come. More broadly speaking, this period of international affairs was the absolute zenith of European imperialism. As the European Empires approached their maximum extent with the end of the scramble for Africa, the outcome of all world affairs was decided in the old capitals of London, Paris, Vienna and Berlin. It was also the high point of European culture; the Belle Epoque, the era of unprecedented peace and prosperity, the flourishing of the arts and the advancement of science that began in 1870, is at its peak. The World’s Fair of 1900 showcased the full extent of Europe’s achievements, promoting an atmosphere of international tolerance and understanding.
While it was hard to imagine at the time, Europe, stronger than ever in absolute terms, was on the verge of beginning its descent from the confident grandeur of the turn of the century. As the first decade of the new century began, the optimism continued, but the relatively peaceful international climate soon disappeared as simmering tensions began to boil over. Nationalism and militarism were fed by the growing prevalence of Social Darwinist thought in the psyche of European leaders, feeding a poisonous climate of mutual distrust, self-interest and hatred. Meanwhile, the absolute pre-eminence that Europe had enjoyed even as recently as 1885 was beginning to slip. In the East, the giant Russian Empire loomed as a nightmare, feared not for what it was but for what it might one day become. Still further afield, the rapidly expanding Empire of Japan had proved that the world did not belong exclusively to the white man. Perhaps less threatening that the former two but even more significant was the sleeping giant across the Atlantic, whose economic might had grown in silence until it dwarfed all others, and whose isolation granted it near immunity from attack.
For the time being, these concerns still seemed remote for a European continent that remained serene and unchallenged, but in the coming years they would increasingly drive the actions of those leaders who feared to be left behind. Harsh economic realities coupled with the twisted rhetoric of social Darwinism combined to generate a silent consensus in the capitals of the old world: the future will belong to the chosen few.
Thus, as the last scraps of the uncivilized world were divided up, the struggle between the powers acquired a new urgency. As the years dragged on, there was an increasing sense that eventually, things would have to come to a head. Only time will tell if that sentiment is accurate.
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