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EVE OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR: 1914
The Irish Times
November 27, 2013 Wednesday
BY Enda O'Doherty
Europe's boundaries had changed little since the Congress of Vienna
settlement of 1815. This apparent stability was deceptive, however,
given the growth of national sentiment in central Europe and the
Balkans and the increasing rivalry and mutual distrust of the great
powers. In 1912 Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece combined to grab more
territory from the ailing Ottomans, then fell out over how to split
their winnings. In 1913 Bulgaria attempted to seize what it felt was
its due but ended up losing many of its gains of the previous year.
It was the clash of Russian and Austro-Hungarian ambitions which was
to provide the fatal spark to set Europe alight. Austria-Hungary's
declaration of war against Serbia after the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand (right) in Sarajevo brought a Russian mobilisation.
Austria's ally, Germany, declared war on Russia, then on Russia's
ally, France. The Germans invaded Belgium. Britain, France's ally,
declared war on Germany and Austria on Russia. Four years of world
war had begun in which eight to 10 million would die.
In 1915, the Ottoman government decided to deport its Armenian
population, who were suspected of sympathising with the Russians.
Between one and two million Armenians died during deportation or were
massacred in what is taken to be the first modern instance of genocide.
In Ireland...The British election of 1910 had made the governing
Liberals dependent on the support of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
Patrick Pearse spoke from a Dublin Home Rule platform in 1912 and
the Home Rule Bill of that year passed in the Commons. Meanwhile,
in Ulster, a volunteer force was armed by guns from Germany. More
than 200,000 men and women pledged themselves to resist Home Rule by
"any means necessary". Then the outbreak of war put everything on hold.
In 1908 a new style of painting that was to be called Cubism emerged
with Picasso and Braque. The first performance of the Russian composer
Igor Stravinksy's revolutionary Rite of Spring caused a riot in Paris
in 1913.
The Irish Times
November 27, 2013 Wednesday
BY Enda O'Doherty
Europe's boundaries had changed little since the Congress of Vienna
settlement of 1815. This apparent stability was deceptive, however,
given the growth of national sentiment in central Europe and the
Balkans and the increasing rivalry and mutual distrust of the great
powers. In 1912 Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece combined to grab more
territory from the ailing Ottomans, then fell out over how to split
their winnings. In 1913 Bulgaria attempted to seize what it felt was
its due but ended up losing many of its gains of the previous year.
It was the clash of Russian and Austro-Hungarian ambitions which was
to provide the fatal spark to set Europe alight. Austria-Hungary's
declaration of war against Serbia after the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand (right) in Sarajevo brought a Russian mobilisation.
Austria's ally, Germany, declared war on Russia, then on Russia's
ally, France. The Germans invaded Belgium. Britain, France's ally,
declared war on Germany and Austria on Russia. Four years of world
war had begun in which eight to 10 million would die.
In 1915, the Ottoman government decided to deport its Armenian
population, who were suspected of sympathising with the Russians.
Between one and two million Armenians died during deportation or were
massacred in what is taken to be the first modern instance of genocide.
In Ireland...The British election of 1910 had made the governing
Liberals dependent on the support of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
Patrick Pearse spoke from a Dublin Home Rule platform in 1912 and
the Home Rule Bill of that year passed in the Commons. Meanwhile,
in Ulster, a volunteer force was armed by guns from Germany. More
than 200,000 men and women pledged themselves to resist Home Rule by
"any means necessary". Then the outbreak of war put everything on hold.
In 1908 a new style of painting that was to be called Cubism emerged
with Picasso and Braque. The first performance of the Russian composer
Igor Stravinksy's revolutionary Rite of Spring caused a riot in Paris
in 1913.