HST 504 Lecture : HST 504 - Week 7.docx
21 Sep 2012
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A web of unseemly promises: the hussein-mcmahon letters, the balfour declaration, and the sykes- The great war had profound impact on international relations not only in europe but also around the world. On the one hand, all the great powers had no choice but to draw significantly on their colonial resources for the war effort. Millions of non-europeans fought on the battlefields in europe, while colonies mobilized for war production. The europeans relentlessly exploited their colonies as the war of attrition drained their own capacity to manufacture goods and munitions. On the other hand, by drawing them into the conflict, the war significantly transformed the colonies. The growth of industrial production outside of europe changed the socio-economic fabric of the colonized societies. Many regions experienced tremendous industrialization and modernization, which fuelled resentment towards the colonial overseers. Amidst all the fighting, many (including wilson and lenin) concluded that imperialism was one of the key causes of the great war.
