The Road to War
America takes the lead?
Objective: To analyze the causes of World
War I.
A Few Big Questions
• How might people respond when they feel
threatened by others?
• What conditions might justify US entry into
another country’s war?
• How can a country help an ally fight a war?
• What challenges do you think countries face
when discussing a peace plan?
Trouble in Europe
• Nationalism, feelings of
intense loyalty to one’s
country was on the rise
• Some groups who spoke
the same language
wanted their own country
– Germany, Italy, etc…
• Nations were competing
for colonies in Africa, Asia
and other parts of the
world
Troubles in Europe (continued)
• Germany, Russia and Italy
wanted to expand
• European countries were
building up armies
• Alliances were built
between countries
• If one country in an
Alliance went to war, so
did others
Causes of World War I MAIN
Militarism – policy of building up strong military forces to
prepare for war
A lliances - agreements between nations to aid and protect
one another (divided Europe into competing camps)
I mperialism – when one country takes over another
country economically and politically
Nationalism – pride in or devotion to one’s country /
nationality
Causes of WWI - Militarism
Total Defense Spending in millions of £s
(British pounds).
1870
1880
£94
£130 £154 £268 £289 £398
France
Britain
Russia
Germany
1890
1900
1910
1914
1910-1914 Increase in
Defense Expenditures
10%
13%
39%
73%
Causes of WWI - Alliances
Triple Entente:
Great Britain
Triple Alliance:
Germany
Austria-Hungary
France
Before
WWI
Russia
Italy
Causes of WWI - Imperialism
Causes of WWI - Nationalism
The Big Problem
• Europe has created so
many alliances, and is
competing for so much
that…
• Even the tiniest spark
could cause war between
two countries
• Because of alliances, war
between 2 countries will
turn into war between
many countries
The Spark
• On June 28, 1914Archduke Franz
Ferdinand of Austria
Hungary is visiting
Bosnia
• He and his wife have
gone there.
First Major Event of WWI
First Major Event of WWI
On June 28, 1914,
Austrian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand
was killed in
Bosnia by a
Serbian nationalist
who believed that
Bosnia should
belong to Serbia.
First Major Event of WWI
Gavrilo Princip after
his assassination of
Austrian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand.
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.
Germany invades Belgium on the way to France.
Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on
Germany.
Europe on the Brink of War - 1914
Eastern Front
Western Front
What Should the United States
do?
• President Woodrow Wilson has to
decide what the United States will do?
• Should we stay isolationist?
• Should we get involved?
• Many Americans believe that it is
Europe’s war.
• We should stay out of it - Isolationism