Causes of the Great War: Origins of World War I
Alliances
Agreements between nations to provide aide & protect one other
*
*
*
*
1871: Prussia unites 39 Germanic states into German Empire
*
Took Alsace-Lorraine territory from France
Germany allied with Italy and Austria-Hungary
*
1882: Triple Alliance
Triple Alliance wanted influence in Southeast Europe
*
*
Russia supported Slavs
Russia worried about invasion
1894: Franco-Russian Alliance
Militarism
Aggressive build-up of armed forces to intimidate or threaten other countries
*
*
*
*
Britain had traditionally been the premiere naval power in the world
1898: Germany builds large, modern navy
Early 1900s, Germany and Britain raced to build warships
an entente cordiale – a friendly understanding
*
Britain, France, & Russia become Triple Entente
Militarism & Alliances led to Triple Alliance v. Triple Entente
Imperialism
Political and economic takeover of a country by a stronger one.
*
*
*
*
All great powers were competing for colonies/territory
Britain, France, and Germany needed foreign resources to compete during the
Industrial Revolution.
All battling for control of Africa.
Russia and Austria-Hungary were in a battle for control of the falling Ottoman
Empire (Balkan states)
Nationalism
Feeling of intense pride in one’s homeland
*
*
*
*
*
Austria-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires had ruled the Balkans
Groups pushed for independence:
*
Serbs, Bosnians, Croats, Slovenes
Serbia gains independence
1908: Bosnian crisis
Tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia were high
The Spark…
The Assassination
*
*
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary assassinated by a member of a
Serbian nationalist group called the “Black Hand”
July 28, 1914: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
Alliances Are Triggered = Europe is at War
Let’s recap…
Alliances & Militarism, Imperialism & Nationalism were the M.A.I.N. causes
of World War I.
Resources
Appleby, J., A. Brinkley, A. Broussard, J. McPherson, and D. Ritchie. The American Vision Modern Times. New
York, NY: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2008. Print.
“Explosion Montage." youtube.com. Web. 23 Jul 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdkAgP_nDg4>.
"Images." World War I. Web. 23 Jul 2010. <http://rb3091.k12.sd.us/event/causes.htm>.
“Uboats in Kiel." uboat.net. Web. 23 Jul 2010. <http://www.uboat.net/history/wwi/part1.htm>.
“British Grand Fleet." cityofart.net. Web. 23 Jul 2010. <http://www.cityofart.net/bship/dreads_directory.html>.