WORLD WAR I
1914-1918
Causes of World War I - MANIA
M ilitarism – policy of building up strong military
forces to prepare for war
A lliances - agreements between nations to aid and
protect one another
N ationalism – pride in or devotion to one’s country
I mperialism – when one country takes over another
country economically and politically
A ssassination – murder of Austrian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand
IMPERIALISM

THE QUEST FOR COLONIES
SOMETIMES PUSHED EUROPEAN
NATIONS TO THE BRINK OF WAR

RIVALRY AND MISTRUST BETWEEN
COUNTRIES DEEPENED
MILITARISM
Having a large and strong standing
army made citizens feel patriotic
 The nations of Europe believed to be
truly great, they needed to have a
powerful military
 This frightened many people

ALLIANCES
I’VE GOT YOUR BACK

Growing rivalries and mutual mistrust
led to the creation of several military
alliances.
Causes of WWI - Alliances
Triple Entente:
Great Britain
France
Russia
Triple Alliance:
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
CRISIS IN THE BALKANS

By the 1900’s, the Ottoman Empire was in
rapid decline

With a long history of nationalist
movements and ethnic clashes, the
Balkans was known as the “powder keg”
of Europe.

Nationalism was a powerful force
Causes of WWI - Assassination
Austrian
Archduke
Franz
Ferdinand
was killed in
Bosnia by a
Serbian
nationalist
who believed
that Bosnia
should
belong to
Serbia.
The Point of No Return:
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Austria blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death and
declared war on Serbia.
Germany pledged their support for Austria Hungary.
Russia pledged their support for Serbia.
The Point of No Return:
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Germany declares war on Russia.
France pledges their support for Russia.
Germany declares war on France.
Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on
Germany.
Last Box of your Chain Reaction

World War I has begun in Europe in 1914.
TRENCH WARFARE
Armies on the Western Front dug miles of
parallel trenches to protect themselves
from enemy fire.
 Armies traded huge losses of human life
for pitifully small gains.
 Life in the trenches was
 pure misery.

WESTERN FRONT

Deadlocked region in northern France
EASTERN FRONT
The stretch of battlefield along the
German and Russian Border.
 Known as the “Frozen Front” due to
deadly winters

NEW WEAPONS OF WAR
POISON GAS
 MACHINE GUN
 TANK
 SUBMARINE
 PLANE

BATTLE OF VERDUN
The slaughter reached a peak in 1916.
 The Germans launched a massive
attack against the French near
Verdun.
 Each side lost more than 300,000
men.

U.S. enters the War
The sinking of the Lusitania. German
submarine U-boat sinks British
passenger ship that left 128 U.S.
citizens dead.
 Germany was using unrestricted
submarine warfare.
 The Zimmerman Telegram – the U.S.
intercepted a telegram Germany sent
to Mexico trying to get Mexico to
declare war on the U.S.

U.S. ENTERS THE WAR

Woodrow Wilson was the President of
the U.S. during WWI
The U.S. entered WWI in April 1917.
 American soldiers helped the Allies
win World War I.

TREATY OF VERSAILLES
Signed on July 28, 1919 between
Germany and the Allied powers.
 Created a League of Nations: It was
created by Wilson’s fourteen points.
However, it had no enforcement.
 Punished Germany





Loss of territory
Restrictions on military operations
Placed responsibility for war on Germany
Germany had to pay reparations to the
Allies