Causes of World War 1
Review
Causes of the Great War
• The exact cause of World War 1 was the
assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the heir to
the Austrian throne, in Sarejevo on 28 June
1914. Austria-Hungary thought that Serbia
was responsible and declared war on 28th July
1914.
• But how did this become a larger war
involving many countries?
• Most historians believe that while the
assassination was “the straw that broke the
camel’s back” there were a number of
underlying causes and tensions that together
made the conditions “ripe” for war.
Tensions pre-1914
•
•
•
•
Nationalism
The Arms Race
Imperialism
The alliance system
• (Look at map of Europe pre 1914 (next slide)
and complete role play)
Europe in Balance
Triple
Entente
•Britain
•France
•Russia
Triple
Alliance/
Central
Powers
•Germany
•Italy
•AustriaHungary
A Chain of
Friendship
This cartoon, “A Chain of Friendship” appeared in the American Newspaper the Brooklyn Eagle in July 1914.
The caption read: “If Austria attacks Serbia, Russia will fall upon Austria, Germany upon Russia, and France
and England upon Germany.” Reproduced in Four Steps to War June – Aug 1914,
http://www.johndclare.net/causes_WW14.htm
What is the
message of this
cartoon regarding
the causes of
World War I?
HINT: What are the
clouds doing?
What is the
significance of the
match?
Picture from Department of Employment, Education and Training, Qld Government, ACARA document, Causes of World War 1,
http://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/items/71f2ecff-0093-8c83-1113-102flce7fl64/0/his-y09-ds3-sh-causeswhyaustraliansenlisted.docx
References
“A Chain of Friendship” in The Brooklyn Eagle , July 1914,
reproduced in Four Steps to War June – Aug 1914,
http://www.johndclare.net/causes_WW14.htm
Coupe, S. et al Was it Only Yesterday? Australia in the Twentieth
Century World, Third Edition, Longman, Melbourne, 1998.
Department of Employment, Education and Training, Qld
Government, ACARA document, Causes of World War 1,
http://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/items/71f2ecff0093-8c83-1113-102flce7fl64/0/his-y09-ds3-shcauseswhyaustraliansenlisted.docx