The Great War Begins
Chapter 11 Section 1
Alliances Form
• Alliance=a group of countries who pledge to
defend one another and promote
PRE-WAR ALLINACES
TRIPLE ENTENTE
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
• 1. Great Britain
• 2. Russia  Serbia
• 3. France
• 1. Austria-Hungary
• 2. Germany
• 3. Italy
**the alliances change
names during the
war**
DURING-WAR ALLIANCES
CENTRAL POWERS
CENTRAL POWERS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• 1. Austria-Hungary
• 2. Germany
1. Great Britain
2. France
3. Russia
4. Belgium
5. Italy (Switches sides)
6. Montenegro
7. Serbia
8. Albania
9. Greece
GERMANY AND BRITAIN
• Built up military to protect its vast empire
• Naval spending increased
• Competition created arms race
CAUSES OF WWI
• MILITARISM
▫ The glorification of the military
▫ Society glorified war
▫ Death wasn’t thought to be a reality
CAUSES OF WWI
• ALLIANCES
▫ A group of countries who pledge to defend one
another and promote
CAUSES OF WWI
• IMPERIALISM
▫ Empire building in foreign countries for the
exploitation of raw materials to fuel the industrial
revolution
CAUSES OF WWI
• NATIONALISM
▫ The feeling of intense pride in one’s nation
▫ French in France
▫ Slavic people in Slavic nations
 Russia (Slavic nation) felt in debt to protect other
Slavic nations
CAUSES OF WWI
• WHAT DO THE PAST FOUR SLIDES SPELL?
▫ MAIN
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
MILITARISM
ALLIANCES
IMPERIALISM
NATIONALISM
THE POWDER KEG
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand of
Austria-Hungary
▫ Heir to thorn
▫ Visited Sarajevo where he
and his wife were
assassinated
 Killed by Serbian
nationalists called the Black
Hand
 Gavirlo Princip
World War I
• Kaiser William II: horrified
at assassination of his ally
• Excuse to crush Serbia
• Austria sent ultimatum to
avoid war
▫ End all anti-Austrian
sentiment
▫ Serbia agreed to most terms
 July 28, 1914: Austria
declared war on Serbia
ALLIANCE SYSTEM HEATS UP
• Russia backed Serbia as a Slavic nation
▫ August 1, 1914: Germany declared war on Russia
▫ Russia appealed to France
 Way to avenge Franco-Prussian War
▫ Germany then declared war on France
• **MORE TO COME ON G.B.**
SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
• Developed by Alfred von Schlieffen
• Germany’s position could create a two-front war
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Schlieffen Plan was designed to avoid this
1st move against France
2nd Must march through neutral Belgium
Occupation of Belgium drew GREAT BRITIAN
into the war (Had an alliance)
 August 4, 1914: Britain declared war on Germany