World War I Causes: 4 MAIN Sticks of Dynamite and a

World War I
Causes:
4 MAIN Sticks of Dynamite and a
Match that sparked the Great War
Four MAIN Sticks of Dynamite: M
• Militarism—glorifying war and
preparing for it by building up the
armed forces/military. European
nations were competing for larger
armies and navies, creating larger
stockpiles of ever deadlier weapons
such as submarines, machine guns,
and larger cannons
– Germany’s military build up gave it the
strongest army in the world by 1900. It
also had a goal of competing with
England’s world’s greatest navy.
Four MAIN Sticks of Dynamite: A
• Alliances—countries made agreements to
protect each other from attack because of the
growing rivalries between industrial countries
with big militaries. Two main alliance
systems developed in Europe
– Triple Alliance/Central Powers: Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Italy*, & Bulgaria
– Triple Entente/Allied Powers: France, England,
Russia, Serbia, Japan, and Belgium
(other countries got involved and Italy changed sides
as the war progressed)
Four MAIN Sticks of Dynamite: I
• Imperialism—expanding a country’s
economic and political control over
another to get resources and markets were a
battle ground between European countries
– Balkan Peninsula (Balkans) between Russia and
Austria Hungary
– Ottoman Empire (Sick Old Man of Europe) was
losing influence in the Balkan Peninsula
– Morocco (North Africa) between France and
Germany
– Egypt, Africa and the Middle East between
England and Germany
Four MAIN Sticks of Dynamite: N
• Nationalism—deep feeling of attachment for one’s
country which helps unify its people, promotes
nationalism, and creates competition between
countries
– 6 great nations rivaled for power in Europe
by 1900 (Germany, A-H, Great Britain, Russia,
Italy, and France)
– Alsace-Lorraine regions of France had been taken
over by Germany but wanted to belong to France
– Serbia wanted Slavic areas of Austria Hungary
– Czechs, Slovaks, Yugoslavs, and Poles wanted
independence (Greece just got it)
The Match that Sparked the War
• Assassination of Arch-Duke Franz
Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary
The match that sparked the War
• Crisis in the Balkans: area with 400 years
of political and ethnic conflict
– Controlled by Ottoman Empire which
was in decline and losing power
– Several nationalistic & ethnic groups
broke away & started own countries—
Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro,
Romania, & Greece
– Some of these new nations hoped to
expand their borders
– Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and
Herzegovina which caused great
tension between A-H and Serbia
– Serbia wanted control of this area
– Austria-Hungary threatened to crush
any Serbian effort to undermine its
authority in the Balkans
The match that sparked the War—
Austria Hungary sent Arch Duke Franz
Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, on
an official visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia.
The royal couple survived an attempt on
their lives that day.
"What is the good of your speeches? I
come to Sarajevo on a visit, and I get
bombs thrown at me. It is outrageous!“
Political Assassination: Heir to throne
of Austria-Hungary and his pregnant
wife were shot and killed later that
day on June 28, 1914
This set events in motion that led to
what we now call World War I.
• Nationalistic group, “The Black Hand”
organized the plot to kill Arch-Duke
Franz Ferdinand.
• Gavrilo Princip was the assassin who
saw the Arch-duke Franz Ferdinand as
a tyrant.
• Princip was caught, tried and sent to
prison where he died of TB in 1918
On to War!!!
– Bosnia under the control of Serbia
– Austria-Hungary placed demands on
Serbia
– Serbia did not comply with demands
– Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
– European nations supported either
Austria-Hungary or Serbia because of their
alliances
– All of Europe got involved in WAR!!!