The MAIN causes of World War I
MILITARISM – The growth of nationalism and imperialism
led to increased military spending
ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907 Europe was divided into
two armed alliances
IMPERIALISM – Economic and political control over
weaker nations
NATIONALISM – a devotion to the interests and
culture of one’s nation
Nationalism:
led to rivalries and conflicts between nations.
Several ethnic groups were ruled by a European power.
Ethnic groups did not want to be dominated by others and
wanted independence.
Russia and Austria-Hungary disagreed over the treatment of
Serbs in central Europe.
Imperialism:
European nations built empires. Colonies supplied raw materials and
provided markets for manufactured goods. As Germany
industrialized, she competed with other nations and colonies made
her more competitive.
Militarism:
Empires had to be defended and European nations increased military
spending enormously in the late 19th and early 20th century.
By 1890 the strongest nation militarily in Europe was Germany
Germany had a strong army and built up a navy to rival England’s
fleet.
France, Italy, Japan and the United States joined in the naval buildup.
Fear of Germany encouraged France and Russia to form an
alliance in 1894. This pushed Germany into closer alliance
with its neighbor, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The
members of these rival power blocs maintained mass
armies through compulsory military service.
During the 1900s, a dangerous rift arose between Russia
and Austria-Hungary, who had conflicting ambitions in
South Eastern Europe. Austria-Hungary's desire to crush
Serbia, and Russia's support for the latter during the crisis
of 1914, were motivated by fear that they would lose their
status as 'Great Powers' if they backed down.
Britain's policy was to maintain a balance of
power in Europe. Germany's growing
strength and manifest pursuit of 'world
power' status persuaded Britain to align with
its traditional rivals: France in 1904 and
Russia in 1907. This series of linked alliances
connected Britain, France and Russia in the
'Triple Entente' and stoked German fears of
'encirclement'. German nationalists viewed
Britain as a barrier to their global ambitions
and German generals increasingly feared the
growing military threat of Russia.
By 1907 there were two major defense alliances in Europe
The Triple Entente, once the war started were known as the
Allies, consisted of France, Britain, and Russia and later the
United States
The Triple Alliance, once the war started were known as the
Central Powers, consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
were later joined by the Ottoman Empire.
Short-Term Cause
• June 28th 1914
• Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Who Declared War on Who?
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Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Russia Declares War on Austria Hungary
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany Declares War on France
England Declares War on Germany and Austria
Hungary
Weapons
WWI was the first major war to use chemical
weapons: Mustard Gas and Chlorine Gas were the
two most popular weapons: They caused suffocation,
blindness, and death.
machine gun
U-boat- sunk many British ships
Weapons
• Both sides used aircraft for observation,
limited bombing, and air battles
• Airplanes were slow, clumsy, and unreliable,
• The most famous German pilot was Baron von
Richthofen (The Red Baron)
• Tanks
• Flame throwers
• Germans, Austria-Hungarians vs. French,
British and later Americans
• Germany develops the Schlieffen Plan
A plan by Germany to attack and defeat
France before Russia would be able to mobilize.
This would help avoid Germany fighting a two
front war. This led to Great Britain declaring war
on Germany.
Battle of the Marne (1914- German Defeat)
Took place in September 1914, which brought an
end the war of movement that had dominated the
First World War since the beginning of August. The
German advance was halted which led to stalemate
and trench warfare.
Trench Warfare on the Western Front
The Allies used four types of trenches:
The front-line trench located as far as one mile from
the German front line trench.
Several hundred yards behind was the support trench
Behind the support trench were the reserve trenches.
All the trenches were connected by communication
trenches.
No man's land: The Territory Between the Trenches
The territory between the opposing front trenches was
marked with huge craters caused by the shelling;
nearly all vegetation was destroyed.
Both sides filled this land with barbed wire to slow
down any rapid advances by the enemy.
The machine gun and the new long-range rifles made
movement in this area almost impossible.
• Western Front Battles
• Battle of Verdun
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Ten months long
French and German armies.
Estimated 540,000 French and 430,000 German casualties
No strategic advantages were gained for either side.
• Battle of Somme
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English and French vs. Germany
Six months of fighting
Five miles of advancement for Allies
1 million men killed
• Major Battle on the Eastern Front
• Battle of Tannenberg:
– August 1914- First major eastern battle.
– Russia was badly defeated and pushed back.
– Russia lost millions of men against Germany,
undersupplied, under gunned.
• Russia’s disadvantages
– Not Industrialized
– Short on Supplies
• Russia’s advantage
– People
Russia Pulls out of the war
• In March 1917, Nicholas II abdicates his throne,
• the Russian Duma continues to fight.
• In October 1917: Lenin and the Bolsheviks take
command: The Soviet Union is created.
• March 1918: Soviets and Germans sign the Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk, ending the war in the East.
• US Enters the War in April of 1917
• March 1918 Russia and Germany sign the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• Germans now use all resources on Western
Front
• March of 1918 Germany begins a massive
attack on France
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German troops fatigued
US had 140,000 “fresh” troops
2nd Battle of the Marne (June 1918)
Central Powers Crumble
– Revolutions in Austria Hungary
– Ottoman Empire surrenders
– German soldiers mutiny, public turns against
Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates on November 9th
1918
• 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in
1918 Germany agrees to a cease-fire
• 8.5 million soldiers dead
• 21 million soldiers wounded
• Cost of 338 billion dollars
• Meeting of the “Big Four” at the Paris Peace
Conference (US, GB, France, Italy)
• Wilson Proposes his “14 points”
• “Big Four” create Treaty of Versailles
– War Guilt Clause-Germany
– Break up of German, Austrian, Russian and
Ottoman Empire
– Reparations- Germany
– Legacy of bitterness and betrayal
• Before World War I feeling of optimism and
progress of Human Kind
• After the War feelings of pessimism
• New forms of Art, Literature, Philosophy
and Science
– (ex. Surrealism, “Lost” Generation,
Psychoanalysis, Existentialism)