Causes of the Great War: The Stage is Set for War

Chapter 13

I. -ISMS

A) Rise of NATIONALISM1. Germany competed with Great Britain to

dominate industry

2. Territorial disputes- France and Germany; Austria-Hungary and Russia over the Balkans

3. Balkan nations’ demands for independence

I.-ISMS

B) IMPERIALISM- competition for colonies deepened the sense of rivalry and mistrust among European nations

I.-ISMS

C) MILITARISM- the policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war; From the 1890s on, nations raced to build up their armies and weaponry and planned to mobilize in the event of war

II. Tangled Alliances

A) German chancellor Otto Von Bismarck wanted to isolate France and by 1882 had formed the Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

B) Later, in the 1890s, Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II challenged Britain by building up the German navy

C) Britain responded by forming an alliance with France and then Russia, the Triple Entente, in which Britain agreed not to fight with France and Russia, but rather to not fight against them

III. Crisis in the Balkans(see map on page 409)

A) New nations wanted to extend their borders; Serbia hoped to absorb all Slavic nations on the Balkan peninsula

B) Russia (Slavic majority) supported Serbian nationalism; Austria-Hungary (Slavic minority) feared rebellion and felt threatened by Serbian nationalism

IV. A Shot Rings Throughout Europe

A) June 28, 1914- Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie, visited the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, and were shot and killed by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian member of the Black Hand, a secret society opposed to the Austrian rule of Bosnia

IV. A Shot Rings Throughout Europe

B) One month later, after Serbian leaders failed to meet the demands of Austrian officials, Austria declared war on Serbia; Russia rushed to Serbia’s defense and sent troops to the Austrian border

C) European stability was on the verge of collapse