Essential Question
What caused World War I?
From 1914 to 1919, World War I erupted in Europe
■ Text
What caused World War I?
This “Great War” was the
WWI was a global war
largest, most destructive
that altered the course
war the world had yet seen
of the 20th century
From 1870 to 1914, a number of developments
gradually increased tensions among the European
powers that led to the outbreak of World War I
The
MILITARISM
ALLIANCES
IMPERIALISM
NATIONALISM
causes of World War I
MILITARISM
The Industrial Revolution Europeans believed that
led to large, advanced
to be great, nations had
militaries in Europe
to have strong militaries
As a result, an arms race began among European
nations, especially between Britain & Germany
Nations glorified
military power &
kept an army
prepared for war
(called militarism)
Having a strong
army increased
patriotism among
citizens
IMPERIALISM
Germany
European
&
nations
England
competed fiercely
Germany,
France almost
for colonies
& France
in Africa &England,
Asia
Russia
went to warfor colonies
argued over
argued over
Competition
threepushed
times Europeans
rights to the
building a
often
over
railroad in India
toMorocco
the brink of warSudan
This competition increased
European rivalry & mistrust
ALLIANCES
Growing
Germany,
rivalries
Italy, &
among nations
England,
ledFrance,
to the
Austria-Hungary
formation of two
made
military&alliances
Russia formed
that
threatened
up the Triple
to draw
Alliance
European
thenations
Triple Entente
into war
NATIONALISM
Rivalries due to
militarism & imperialism
increased nationalism
among European powers
European rivals tried to
maintain a balance of
power while also trying
to overpower each other
Balance
of Power,
1914”
British propaganda“European
poster, 1897
Austrian
national
poster, 1900
NATIONALISM
No region was more
While
unified
Thenationalism
Balkans became
a
tense in the years
people
in the
powerful
“powder
keg”
waiting
before World War I
nations,
it was
for a spark
to dividing
blow up
than the Balkans
people in weakening empires
Serbia, Greece, Albania,
Bulgaria, & Romania
broke from the
Ottoman Empire to
create new nations
Slavic people in Serbia
wanted to unify all Slavs
but Austria-Hungary
opposed giving up the
largely Slavic territories
Bosnia & Herzegovina
The Outbreak of World War I
Serbians vowed
On June 28, 1914, the Austroto take Bosnia &
Hungarian Archduke Franz
Herzegovina from
Ferdinand & his wife were
Austria-Hungary assassinated by a Serbian terrorist
The assassin Gavrilo Princip
The Outbreak of World War I
On July 23, Austria-Hungary
issued an ultimatum to Serbia:
turn over conspirators & allow
an investigation…OR…go to war
When Serbia balked at some
of the terms, Austria-Hungary
declared war on July 28, 1914
Russia had a large
population of Slavs &
was an ally of Serbia;
Russia moved troops
to the Austrian border
These events set off
a chain reaction that
started World War I
World
War 14,Begins
Austria-Hungary
On
August
1914, England
On
August
1,
1914,
On August
3,declared
1914,
Russia
mobilized
for
war
declared
war
on
Serbia
war
on
Germany
&
Italy
backed
out
of
its
Germany
declared
war
…and
joined
Germany
declared
war
to
protect
Serbia
& itson
ally
Russia
Austria-Hungary
agreement
with
Germany
Russia
the
Allies
on
France
& Austria-Hungary…
On July 28,1914, Serbia
declined the ultimatum
World War I had begun
During the war Germany & Austria-Hungary
became the Central Powers; They were
joined by Bulgaria & the Ottoman Empire
The members of the Triple Entente
became known as the Allied Powers
and eventually were joined by…
…many nations throughout the world