THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR ISection 1

4 M.A.I.N. CAUSES OF THE WAR

Militarism

Alliances

Imperialism

Nationalism

MILITARISM

The aggressive preparation for war, which was growing.

Mass army growth heightened tensions after 1900

Conscription (military draft)

European armies size x2 between 1890-1914

Vast and complex plans by military leaders

Millions of soldiers mobilized (the process of assembling troops and supplies for war)

ALLIANCES

Two loose alliances formed in Europe out of rivalries:

Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882

Triple Entente: France, Great Britain, and Russia in 1907.

Revenge, self-interest, and crisis i.e. the Balkans, tested these alliances

Willing to use war to preserve their power, but originally formed alliances to promote peace

IMPERIALISM

European nations competing with other European nations to amass more colonies

Imperialism Build up national wealth and influence

Germany and Italy had a growing desire for colonial empire

Global competition for land caused confrontations/ conflict

Why do you think Germany and Italy wanted more colonies?

NATIONALISM

Each country thought theirs was the best

Emphasized their interests and culture above those of other nations.

Darwin, survival of the fittest

Led to competition of building the largest armies/ navies

Led to subject people wanting to form independent nations of their own i.e. Slavic minorities in the Balkans

What made certain European countries think they were better than everyone else?

ASSASSINATION IN SARAJEVO

Serbia wanted independence from Austria-Hungary; Russia supported this

Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to Austrian throne, & his wife Sophia assassinated on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Gavrilo Princip, member of the Serbian terrorist group “the Black Hand” assassinated archduke and his wife

Princip and other conspirators wanted Bosnia to be a part of a larger, independent Serbian kingdom.

Why do you think Princip’s motivation was to assassinate the archduke?

IMPACT OF ASSASSINATION

Austrian leaders wanted to attack Serbia, but feared Russia would intervene

Emperor William II of Germany gave Austria-Hungary a “blank check” promising their support if war broke out with Russia

On July 28th, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

Czar Nicholas II of Russia ordered partial then full mobilization of the Russian army against Austria-Hungary

CONFLICT BROADENS

Germany considered mobilization an act of war

Germany warned Russia to halt mobilization in 12 hrs, Russia ignored them so Germany declared war on Russia on Aug 1

General Alfred von Schlieffen drew up the military plan for Germany known as the Schlieffen Plan

SCHLIEFFEN PLAN

Two-front war with France and Russia

A few troops against Russia… Germany invades France through Belgium

Plan called for defeating France, then Russia

So on Aug 3 Germany declared war on France, and ordered Belgium to allow German troops through

By Aug 4, Great Britain declared war on Germany for violating Belgian neutrality; all great powers of Europe were at war