Podcast detailing the war aims and strategy of the Central Powers – that is to say, Germany and Austria-Hungary initially, and later on Turkey as their third partner. Germany entered the war with a variety of aggressive territorial ambitions: to establish their supremacy in Europe and carve out an Empire in Africa. The Austro-Hungarians fought a different war, aimed at punishing their traditional enemies the Slavs and their supporters, the Russians. The Central powers were fighting on many different fronts, France and Russia for the Germans, Serbia and Russian for the Austro-Hungarians. That meant a dispersal of effort, and one of the central questions that faced the Germans and Austro-Hungarians throughout the war was where might that effort best be concentrated. Although Austria-Hungary was very much economically the weaker power, the Germans could get at Austria-Hungary, whereas the allies could not get at Russia, or not at all as easily, and that meant that the Germans were able to prop up their partner for longer, and therefore to stay in the war for longer than might otherwise have been the case.
Original URL: http://www.thehistoryfaculty.org/a-levels/item/219-the-central-powers-and-the-first-world-war-pt1
Resource Type : video
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