The First World War:
European Tensions
Ignited
World History
Causes of the War
Consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss your answers.
1. What do you see here?
2. What do the different colors on the map represent?
3. Who is allied to whom?
4. Which countries might have the greatest or least need to join an alliance?
5. What are the advantages of joining alliances? Disadvantages?
Europe at Its Peak
 In 1914, Western European countries were
the most technologically advanced,
wealthiest societies on earth.
 Europeans comprised 25% of the world’s
population, the highest percentage of
Europeans of any time in history
 Modernization created a feeling of
superiority in Europe
Militarism
 The policy of glorifying
military power and
keeping an army prepared
for war.
 By 1914, all the great
powers except Britain had
large standing armies.
 Citizens feel patriotic
 Also frightened many.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
 1888 became ruler of
Germany.
 Forced Bismarck to
resign.
 Army was his greatest
pride.
 Eager to show the
world how mighty
Germany had become.
Tangled Alliances
 Growing rivalries and
mutual mistrust had lead
to the creation of several
military alliances among
the Great powers.
 Prussia’s chancellor, Otto
von Bismarck, saw
France as greatest threat
to peace.
 Goal of Bismarck: to
isolate France
The System of Alliances
 Fearing the inevitable, countries began to
form interlocking treaties, called alliances
 Two major alliances in Europe
– Triple Alliance
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
– Triple Entente
• Britain, France, Russia
Triple Alliance
 Bismarck formed the
Dual Alliance
between Germany and
Austria-Hungary.
 Three years later ,
Italy joined forming
The Triple Alliance.
Triple Entente
 Treaty between
Britain, France, and
Russia.
 Countries form
alliance with each
other- will not fight
against each other.
Imperialism
 Nations in Europe
competed fiercely for
colonies in Africa and
Asia.
 This quest for colonies
sometimes pushed
Europeans to the brink of
war.
 Sense of rivalry and
mistrust among nations
deepens.
Nationalism
 Two forms of nationalism
– A devotion to the interests of one’s nation
• Feelings of national pride
• Patriotism
• Connected to imperialism and militarism
– An aspiration for independence in a country under
foreign domination
• This form led to tensions in countries with large numbers of
ethnic minorities (Why?)
• Austria-Hungary had the most serious problem with this form
War Breaks Out
Consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss your answers.
1. What do you see here?
2. How are these people going to effect the OUT BREAK of WWI?
MAKE A PREDICTION (HALF A PAGE)
BE READY TO SHARE FOR DAPS!!!
Ottoman Empire
 The Armenians suffered
horrifically for its desire for
independence from the
Ottoman Empire.
 By 1880’s , roughly 2.5
million Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire demanded
their freedom.
 Throughout 1890’s, Turkish
troops killed tens of
thousands of Armenians.
 In 1914, Armenians pledged
support to Turks’ enemies.
 Turks deported nearly 2
million.
 600,000 die of starvation
A Restless Region
 Early 1900s-Ottoman
Empire, which included
the Balkan region, was in
rapid decline.
 New Nations: Bulgaria,
Greece, Montenegro,
Romania, and Serbia
 Nationalism a powerful
force.
 Each group longed to
extend its borders.
Nationalism in the Balkans
causes conflict
 Rivalry between Russia and Austria-Hungary
developed over the Balkan Peninsula
 The area that formerly was controlled by the
Ottoman Empire
 The Balkan Peninsula, “the powder keg of
Europe”, contained many different ethnic groups
that desired their independence
 Two “Balkan Wars”, 1912 and 1913, were fought
helping keep tensions high
Austria-Hungary and Serbia
 Austria-Hungary: Had a small Slavic
population under its control
 Serbia: Had a large Slavic population,
wanted to take in all Slavs in the Balkans,
Start a Nationalism campaign
 Conflict: Austria-Hungary fears rebellion
from its Slavic population
Alliances in the Balkans
 Russia and Austria-Hungary both want
control of the Balkans
 Russia, high Slavic population, sides with
Serbia
 Austria-Hungary sides with Germany
 Russia is not militarily ready for war so
they are forced to back down
 So what might make war break out now?
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
 A Serbian nationalist
terror organization, The
Black Hand, planned to
assassinate the heir to the
throne and sent 7
assassins
 After avoiding 5
assassins, the archduke
and his wife were
assassinated by Gavrilo
Principe
Ultimatum
 On July 23 Austria-Hungary
presented Serbia with an
ultimatum which had to be
answered in 48 hours
 Their demands
– Stop all Anti-Austrian
activity
– Dismiss of all Serbian
officials A-H objected to
– The right to enter Serbia to
investigate whether the
Serbian government was
involved
 Serbia agreed to the first two,
but refused on the third
 Austria-Hungary declared war
on Serbia on July 28th
Alliances and Fronts of the War
Consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss your answers.
1. What do you see here?
2. Who are the Allied Power? Central Powers?
3. Where are the western, eastern, Italian, and Balkan fronts of the war?
4. Which alliance seems to be winning?
The Alliance System Leads to War
 Because of the alliance systems, Europe was at war
within one week
 July 30th, Russia mobilized its armies moving troops
towards Germany and A-H
 Germany, taking this as an act of war, issued two
demands
– Russia demobilize
– France remain neutral
 Russia and France refused
 Germany declared war on Russia on August 1st and on
France on August 3rd
 After Germany attacked neutral Belgium to get to France,
Britain entered the war
The Alliances
 World War I was fought between two
sides, on primarily four European fronts
 The Triple Entente were called the Allies,
and were joined by Belgium
 The Triple Alliance became known as the
Central Powers
– Italy refused to honor her alliance
 Eventually 31 nations joined the war