CAUSES OF
WORLD WAR I:
M.A.I.N.
SETTING THE STAGE
• Europe in relative
peace for 75
years
• Believed
technological
progress made
war a thing of the
past
RISING TENSIONS :
• Militarism – glorifying
military power and
keeping army prepared
• Army proves power
• Necessary to protect
colonies
• Competition for colonies =
rivalries and mistrust
• Arms race
• Each country trying for the
best military
• Important to mobilize
quickly
MILITARISM
RISING TENSIONS :
ALLIANCES
• Germany worried about French aggression
• Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary
• 1881 – Triple Alliance created when Italy joins
• Wilhelm II comes to
power
• Russia signs pact
with France
• Wilhelm starts to build
big navy
• Goal: rival British navy
• Triple Entente:
• Great Britain
• France
• Russia
RISING TENSIONS :
• Colonies were best way to
prove power
• What do you need for
colonies?
• Strong military
• Industrialized country
• What do colonies give you?
• Strong sense of nationalism
• Raw materials
• Manpower
IMPERIALISM
RISING TENSIONS :
NATIONALISM
• Nationalism – deep
devotion to one’s country
• Unifying force within country
• Causes deep distrust and
competition between nations
• Great Powers
• France, Great Britain, AustriaHungary, Germany, Italy, and
Russia
• Rivalries among them lead to
increased tensions
CRISIS IN THE BALKANS: POWDER KEG OF
EUROPE
• Balkan region in OE
• OE in decline, ethnic
groups breaking away
• Countries that broke
away:
•
•
•
•
•
Greece
Montenegro
Serbia
Romania
Bulgaria
• Most countries
wanted to expand
borders
• Meant needed to take
from neighbors
THE POWDER KEG OF EUROPE: CASE
STUDY
• Serbia
• Serbia wanted ALL Slavs in
the Balkan region
• Russia supported Serbia
• Austria-Hungary did not like it
b/c Slavs were in Empire
• 1908 – AH annexed Bosnia
and Herzegovina (both Slavic
areas)
• Vows:
• Serbia promised to take
areas away from AH
• AH promised to meet Serbian
aggression with force
POWDER KEG’S SPARK: THE SHOT IN
SARAJEVO
• Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia
• Actors:
• Franz Ferdinand – heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne
• Sophia – his wife
• Black Hand – Serbian
nationalist group, wanted to
take Bosnia from Austria
• Gavrilo Princip – member of
Black Hand
• Event:
• Gavrilo Princip assassinated
both Franz Ferdinand
POWDER KEG’S SPARK: OUTCOME
• AH uses the murders to
punish Serbia
• Gave Serbia an ultimatum
• Backed by Germany, BLANK
CHECK
• Germany said it would back ANY
play, including war
• Serbia (backed by Russia)
declines AH’s ultimatum
• AH declared war on Serbia
• Russia starts to mobilize its
troops the same day
DISCUSSION QUESTION
What (if anything) could have been done to keep
World War I from happening?
This does not just need to be “no alliances or colonies”. Those
existed so what else could have been done?