Word Count: 385
Section C. Evaluation of Sources:
Source A: My Czech Republic, http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech-history/first-republic.html
The origin of Source A is a secondary source that is an internet document from the My Czech Republic website. The purpose of this source is to provide an overview of Czech history for those who would like to view it. Its value is that it is an overview, which provides a great amount of information in a brief amount of time and space. Its limitations include the fact that it is a secondary source, there is no list of sources, and there are perspective issues. The fact that it is a secondary source limits this since it creates a lack of detail in the account of the source, and can also leave out necessary information and give false perceptions. Since this source does not include a list of sources, the information may not be reliable. Finally, there are some perspective issues within this source by which whoever wrote this had over-traumatized some events, in order to side with the Czech.
Source B: First World War.com, http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/greaterserbia_corfudeclaration.htm
The origin of Source B is a primary official report that has been condensed and summarized by the individuals at Fist World War.com. The report is about the Corfu Declaration, which was declared on 20 July 1917. The purpose of this source is to inform the reader about how Yugoslavia came to become independent, and the rules that were outlined in the Corfu Declaration. Its value is that it is from a primary source showing the official rules that were outlined in the Corfu Declaration. Their limitation is the fact that it had been condensed and summarized by the people at First World War.com. This limits the value of the site since whoever summarized and condensed the original source may have left out information necessary within the site, and altered it to sympathize to one side.
Word Count: 317
Section D. Analysis:
The dissolution of Austria-Hungary caused many ripple affects; it impacted the different cultural groups within the Empire, but particularly played a crucial role in influencing Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Poland into becoming independent states.
In the beginning of the First World War, following Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, Yugoslav nationalism escalated dramatically compared to the previous years. What these nationalists wanted, was independence and unification of Yugoslav nationalities of Austria-Hungary and demanded for the merging of Serbia and Montenegro in order to create one large single Yugoslav state. At the beginning of the war, this idea did not seem very possible due to the amount of power Austria-Hungary had. However, as the war came to a close, this idea of independence seemed plausible due to Austria-Hungary’s vulnerability, since they were losing the war against the allies. Ante Tumbi became an important Yugoslav figure during this time period, and lobbied the Allies to support the creation of an independent Yugoslavia. The Allies reacted positively to the Yugoslavs and established The Corfu Declaration. The Corfu Declaration was created in order to have Allied principles upon which the new state would be created and governed. By 1918, Yugoslavia had finally been declared an independent state, and was formally known as the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. However, fact that Austria-Hungary was collapsing is why Yugoslavia was able to become an independent state.
Similarly, Czechoslovakia was also influenced greatly to gain autonomy due to Austria-Hungary’s disintegration. Formally known as the First Czechoslovak Republic, it existed from 1918 to 1938. It was composed of Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesa, and part of Slovakia. As Austria-Hungary slowly began to collapse, Czech delegates and the Prime Minister presented their case to organize the revolution in order to build up the Czechoslovak army in Siberia. They used diplomatic skills and honesty in order to gain recognition from the Allies. Later on in the war, the Czechoslovakians were well recognized, since Czechoslovakian independence was mentioned in one of Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points, in which he stated:
“The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development.”
Since Austria-Hungary was at a time of weakness, Woodrow Wilson was able to help form the independent country of Czechoslovakia.
Finally, the dissolution Austria-Hungary also played an important role in the independence of Poland. During the First World War, Poland did not exist as an independent state and Polish territory was split during partitions between Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, when Russia was not apart of the war anymore, Germany and Austria-Hungary started a policy to create a “Central Europe”, and on the 5th of November, 1917, they proclaimed the Kingdom of Poland as a “puppet state”. They would use Poland as a puppet state in order to mobilize through there. As the war went on, and the Austria-Hungary weakened, Poland was recognized as an independent state, and was formally known as the Second Polish Republic. However, like the previous countries, Poland was only able to become independent and internationally recognized due to the collapse of the Russian, German and Austrio-Hungarian Empires. In addition, like Czechoslovakia, Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points played an important role for Poland and met with opposition from European nations standing to lose power or territory.
Word Count: 560
Section E. Conclusion:
Overall, by the end of the war, Austria-Hungary vanished, leaving a great hole in the centre of Europe. Imperial Germany was now a republic and old nations like Poland came out of history to live again. New nations, like Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, struggled to be born. Austria-Hungary mainly collapsed because it could no longer keep itself afloat and its nationalities down, and the dissolution of this once powerful Empire impacted the independence of the cultures that once existed, such as Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Poland to a large extent. What these nations all have in common is that they spoke out and tried to receive recognition from the Allies, in which they were recognized positively and from the help of the Allies, were able to become independent states.
Word Count: 133
Section E. Bibliography:
Doody, Richard. Poland 1918-1952. http://worldatwar.net/timeline/poland/18-52.html. Accessed: April 8, 2012.
György, Andrássy. Hungary or the Inherited Diversity. http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/butlletins/49-10.htm. Accessed: April 6, 2012
Horne, Charles F. Records of the Great War, Vol. VII, National Alumni. 1923. sourced in First World War.com. The Corfu Declaration, 20 July 1917. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/greaterserbia_corfudeclaration.htm. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Jakl , Tomáš. Czechoslovakia 1918-1920. http://flagspot.net/flags/cz-1918.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
My Czech Republic. Czech History. http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech-history/first-republic.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Sparknotes. World War I (1914–1919). http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/ww1/section11.rhtml. Accessed: April 6, 2012
Spiritus Temporis. Austria-Hungary. http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/austria-hungary/dissolution-of-the-empire.html. Accessed: April 6, 2012
U.S Department of State. Background Note: Czech Republic. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3237.htm. Accessed: April 7, 2012
World War One Document Archive. President Wilson’s Fourteen Points. http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson%27s_Fourteen_Points. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Winkelman, Roy. The Breakup of Austria-Hungary, 1918. http://etc.usf.edu/maps/pages/3600/3698/3698.htm. Accessed: April 6, 2012
Spiritus Temporis. Austria-Hungary. http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/austria-hungary/dissolution-of-the-empire.html. Accessed: April 6, 2012
Sparknotes. World War I (1914–1919). . Accessed: April 6, 2012
My Czech Republic. Czech History. http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech-history/first-republic.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
U.S Department of State. Background Note: Czech Republic. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3237.htm. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Tomáš Jakl. Czechoslovakia 1918-1920. http://flagspot.net/flags/cz-1918.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Charles F. Horne. Records of the Great War, Vol. VII, National Alumni. 1923. sourced in First World War.com. The Corfu Declaration, 20 July 1917. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/greaterserbia_corfudeclaration.htm. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Charles F. Horne. Records of the Great War, Vol. VII, National Alumni. 1923. sourced in First World War.com. The Corfu Declaration, 20 July 1917. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/greaterserbia_corfudeclaration.htm. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Richard Doody. Poland 1918-1952. http://worldatwar.net/timeline/poland/18-52.html. Accessed: April 8, 2012.
Charles F. Horne. Records of the Great War, Vol. VII, National Alumni. 1923. sourced in First World War.com. The Corfu Declaration, 20 July 1917. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/greaterserbia_corfudeclaration.htm. Accessed: April 7, 2012
My Czech Republic. Czech History. http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech-history/first-republic.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Tomáš Jakl. Czechoslovakia 1918-1920. http://flagspot.net/flags/cz-1918.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
My Czech Republic. Czech History. http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech-history/first-republic.html. Accessed: April 7, 2012
World War One Document Archive. President Wilson’s Fourteen Points. http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson%27s_Fourteen_Points. Accessed: April 7, 2012
Richard Doody. Poland 1918-1952. http://worldatwar.net/timeline/poland/18-52.html. Accessed: April 8, 2012.