Peace, War, And The European Powers, 1814-1914

The causes of war have tended to attract more attention than the causes of peace, yet the two are intimately related, Indeed there was much talk of war during the unprecedentedly long periods of peace between the European great powers in the years 1815-1854 and again in 1871-1914, the Near Eastern crises of 1878 and 1887-8 being only two of the more notable examples. In the case of the latter, there occurred a spell of fatalistic and belligerent talk in both Berlin and Vienna which in many ways anticipated that which gripped those capitals by 1914. A study of the whole question of the best methods by which to defend and advance the national interest is often more illuminating on why wars were avoided that are studies of the documentation surrounding the Holy Alliance, the congress system or the Concert of Europe. It is clear that the Concert tended to become most active only after a war had already been fought, or when the powers had already decided that conflict was likely to prove too costly, dangerous and unpredicatable in its effects both at home and abroad. Thus the Russians twice advanced almost to the gates of Constantinople only to recoil at the implications of trying to obtain control of the Straits. Similarly, Habsburg thoughts of war were frequently neutralised by reminders of financial weakness. This valuable book will be welcomed by anyone wishing to understand the nature of European state relations in the nineteenth century. Professor Bartlett examines why major wars did happen and did not happen, with particular attention being paid to the events of 1914. "The causes of war have tended to attract more attention than the causes of peace, yet the two are intimately related. Indeed there was much talk of war during the unprecedentedly long periods of peace between the European great powers in the years 1815-1854 and again in 1871-1914, the Near Eastern crises of 1878 and 1887-8 being only two of the more notable examples. In the case of the latter, there occurred a spell of fatalistic and belligerent talk in both Berlin and Vienna which in many ways anticipated that which gripped those capitals by 1914." "A study of the whole question of the best methods by which to defend and advance the national interest is often more illuminating on why wars were avoided than are studies of the documentation surrounding the Holy Alliance, the congress system or the Concert of Europe." "It is clear that the Concert tended to become most active only after a war had already been fought, or when the powers had already decided that conflict was likely to prove too costly, dangerous and unpredictable in its effects both at home and abroad. Thus the Russians twice advanced almost to the gates of Constantinople only to recoil at the implications of trying to obtain control of the Straits. Similarly, Habsburg thoughts of war were frequently neutralised by reminders of financial weakness." "This valuable book will be welcomed by anyone wishing to understand the nature of European state relations in the nineteenth century. Professor Bartlett examines why major wars did happen and did not happen, with particular attention being paid to the events of 1914"--Jacket Pt. I. Theoretical Foundations. The 'founding Fathers' -- Pt. Ii. The Parting Of The Ways. German Social Democracy ; Russian Marxism ; War And Revolution. -- Pt. Iii. Communism In The Soviet Union. The Rise Of Stalinism ; Late Stalinism To Gorbachev. -- Pt. Iv. Communism In Europe. Communism In West Europe Since The First World War ; Communism In East Europe. -- Pt. V. Disintegration. The Collapse Of Communism In The Soviet Union And East Europe. -- Appendix A: The Disintegration Of The Soviet Union. -- Appendix B: The Collapse Of Communism In East Europe. Ronald Kowalski. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 251-257) And Index. "The First World War has left its imprint on British society and the popular imagination to an extent almost unparalleled in modern history. Its legacy of mass death, mechanized slaughter, propaganda, and disillusionment swept away long-standing romanticized images of warfare, and continues to haunt the modern consciousness." "Focusing on the lives of ordinary Britons, George Robb's engaging new study seeks to comprehend what it meant for an entire society to undergo the tremendous shocks and demands of total war; how it attempted to make sense of the conflict, explain it to others, and deal with the war's legacies."--Jacket Front Matter....Pages i-x The ‘Congress System’....Pages 1-23 Competition Short of War....Pages 24-45 Revolutions and War, 1848–56....Pages 46-69 The Transformation of Europe, 1857–71....Pages 70-92 Realpolitik and Militarism, 1871–90....Pages 93-120 Imperial Rivalries and European Diplomacy, 1890–1907....Pages 121-141 From the Anglo-Russian Entente to the Balkan Wars....Pages 142-158 To August 1914 and the End of an Era....Pages 159-176 A Summing Up....Pages 177-180 Back Matter....Pages 181-202 This is a study of the reasons for two long periods of peace between the European great powers, 1815-54 and 1871-1914, and the reasons for their breakdown. Special attention is paid to the limitations of the Concert of Europe and Balance of Power in making for peace. With the Second World War came the end of the Nazi domination of Europe and Japanese aggression in the Asia Pacific. However, this created two superpowers and the Cold War. This study looks at the causes of this and of its consequences In this concise yet comprehensive study, Brendan Simms shows why Prussia had emerged as the dominant German state by the middle of the 19th century C.j. Bartlett. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 181-192) And Index.