THE STAGE IS SET FOR
WAR
13.1
AN UNEASY PEACE GRIPS EUROPE
• Europe had been at peace for nearly 30 years
• A whole generation had grown up ignorant to the
horror of war, many believed war was a thing of the
past
• Yet four factors arose to propel Europe into war
1. RISE OF NATIONALISM
• Nationalism-A deep devotion to one’s nation.
Can lead people to feel their nation is better than
others
• Rivalries developed based on the competition for
materials and markets
• Territorial disputes also played a role. AustriaHungary and Russia were both trying to control the
Balkans in Southwest Europe
2. IMPERIALISM
• European countries competed over colonies in
Africa and Asia
• The quest for colonies nearly led to war many times
• As these countries continued to compete, their
rivalry and mistrust deepened
3. THE GROWTH OF MILITARISM
• Militarism- The policy of glorifying military power and
keeping an army prepared for war
• Beginning in the 1890’s nationalism led to a
European arms race
• Having a large and strong standing army made
citizens feel patriotic
4. TANGLED ALLIANCES
• International rivalries lead to the creation of military
alliances designed to keep peace
• Two great alliances existed
•
•
•
The Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
The Triple Entente- Britain, France and Russia
A dispute between any two rival nations could
result in the entire continent going to war
ASSIGNMENT
• 1. Explain how each of the three factors listed led to
rising tensions in Europe.
• 2. Why would military alliances have been created to
keep peace?
• 3. Describe the territorial dispute between Russia and
Austria-Hungary
• 4. How might a incident between any two members of
the alliances lead to war?
WWI BEGINS
14.1.2
CRISIS IN THE BALKANS
• The Balkan region was breaking away from the rule
of the Ottoman Empire
• This area was a mix of ethnic groups and new
nations sought to expand and unite members of
these groups together
EUROPE’S POWDER KEG
• Serbia was a Balkan nation with a mainly Slavic
population. They wanted to expand and unite all
the Slavic people in the region
• Russia, also had a large Slavic population and
supported Serbia
• Austria-Hungary did not support this action. They
took control of Bosnia and Herzegovina which both
had large Slavic populations
EUROPE’S POWDER KEG
• Serbia wanted to take this area away from AustriaHungary, but A.H. was much more powerful and
vowed to crush Serbia if they tried
• If war erupted between Austria-Hungary and Russia
it would involve the two great alliances
A SHOT RINGS THROUGHOUT EUROPE
• The heir to the throne of A.H. visited Bosnia
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were
assassinated by a Serbian nationalist who wanted
to end A.H. rule
• Because he was a Serbian, A.H. demanded Serbia
allow Austrian officials into Serbia to investigate
WAR BEGINS
• Serbia attempted to negotiate with Austria-Hungary
over their demands
• A.H. refused to negotiate and declared war on
Serbia
• In response Russia sent troops to the Austrian
border. This set in motion the beginning of World
War I
ASSIGNMENT
1.
What single event led to the start of World War I?
2.
Was the description of the Balkans as a “powder keg”
accurate? Explain your answer
3.
Do you think WWI was avoidable? Explain your answer
4.
What was the source of conflict between Serbia and
Austria-Hungary?
5.
Why would a conflict between these two nations
involve the rest of Europe?