• The causes of World War I included imperialist expansion and competition for resources. In addition, territorial and regional conflicts combined with a flawed alliance system and intense nationalism to escalate the tensions into global conflict

• New military technology led to increased levels of wartime casualties

• WWI was the first total war; Governments used a variety of strategies, including political propaganda, art, media, and intensified forms of nationalism to mobilize the populations for the purpose of waging war

The World in the Early 20th Century

• By 1900, Europeans (and people with EU ancestry) largely controlled the entire world through their formal empires or informal influence → would soon change over the next few decades

• Rivalry and competition between European states continued

• Fragile peace was barely maintained following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815

  • Congress of Vienna - international meeting held to redraw European boundaries

  • Attempt to create a peaceful balance of power in Europe

• Rivalries intensified following the unification of Germany in 1871

German Unification

• Alsace-Lorraine taken over by Germany after Franco-German War (1870-1871)

• Creates anti-German sentiment since France loses valuable iron ore deposits, steelmaking plants, and other industries

Causes of WWI

• Militarism

• Alliances

• Nationalism

• Imperialism

• Assassination

• Crisis in the Balkans

• Series of Diplomatic Failures

Militarism:

• glorification and expansion of the military

• Conscription: the draft of civilians into the military

• Domino Effect → when one country enhanced its military, other countries would do the same

Alliances:

• systems: defense agreements among nations

• 2 major alliance systems:

  • Triple Alliance (central powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

  • Triple Entente (allies): Great Britain, Russia, and France

• Militarism led to secret alliances to ensure protection in case of an attack:

  • Britain + France + Russia = viewed Germany as a rival

    • France: bitter over losing Franco-Prussian War to Germany

    • Britain: competed with Germany for colonies in Africa

  • Allies: US, China, Japan, Britain, France, Russia

  • Italy switched to the Allies in 1915

Nationalism:

• had unified Germany and Italy and was becoming more and more popular

• France wanted Alsace-Lorraine back from Germany

• Austrian Empire - nationalism was creating the most violent tensions in Europe

  • Pan-Slavism: Slavic Nationalism; desire to unite all of the Slavic people under one empire

Imperialism:

• European imperialist rivalries since the 1800s

• Competed for territory and economic power all over the world

  • Especially in: Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, China, and the Balkans

• Competition = Hostility; Europe “Got in each other’s way”

Assassinations:

• the “spark” of WWI

• June 28th, 1914" = Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated

• His wife, Sophie, also killed

• They were in Sarajevo = capital in Bosnia-Herzegovina

  • a territory controlled by Austria-Hungary with large Slavic population

• Murdered by Gavrilo Princip = member of the Black Hand

Crisis in the Balkans:

• Many Slavic people in Austrian and Russian Empires

• also in the Balkans; a region once controlled by the Ottoman Empire (now falling apart)

• Serbia = in favor of Pan-Slavism

Series of Diplomatic Failures:

• Ultimatum fron A-H to Serbia fails; A-H declares war on Serbia

• Russia (protector of the Slavs) and France mobilize against Germany

• Germany declares war on France using the Schlieffan plan, going through neutral Belgium

• England declares war on Germany for attacking neutral Belgium

German Support:

• A-H approached Germany and made sure that Germany would support it if it took action against Serbia

• Germany promised a “blank check” of support

  • Unconditional and full support

Declaration of War

• A-H gave Serbia an ultimatum

  • Serbia must let A-H officials into the country to stop all violent, nationalist movements

  • Serbia must let A-H officials into the country to investigate the assassination

• Serbia said nope

• July 28th, 1914: A-H declares war on Serbia

• Both countries started mobilization: preparing the military for war

A European War:

• Russia began to mobilize

  • Supported Serbia and Pan-Slavism

• France began to mobilize to support Russia

• Germany gave Russia and France an ultimatum: stop mobilizing or face war

  • they didn’t stop

  • Germany declared war on Russia and France

• Great Britain tried to stay neutral

• August 1914: Germany invaded neutral Belgium in order to get to France