Causes of World War I - MAIN

M

A

I

N

ilitarism – policy of building up strong military forces to prepare for war (“will and means”)

lliances - agreements between nations to aid and protect one another

ationalism – pride in or devotion to one’s country

mperialism – when one country takes over another country economically and politically

Assassination – murder of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Causes of World War IBalkan Powder Keg

Caution Explosive

1914

Alliance System

Nationalism

Imperialism

Blank Check Given to Austria by

Germany

Immediate CauseThe Assassination

At SarajevoSet off the

Powder Keg and Started WWI

MilitarismArms race

1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures

France 10%

Britain 13%

Russia 39%

Germany 73%

Causes of WWI - MilitarismCauses of WWI - Militarism

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914

94 130 154 268 289 398

Total Defense Expenditures for the Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br.,

Rus.] Rus.] in millions of £s (British pounds).in millions of £s (British pounds).

Triple Entente: 1907 Triple Entente: 1907 (Morocco Crisis)(Morocco Crisis)

::

Triple Entente: 1907 Triple Entente: 1907 (Morocco Crisis)(Morocco Crisis)

::

Triple AllianceTriple Alliance: : 18821882

Triple AllianceTriple Alliance: : 18821882

Causes of WWI - AlliancesCauses of WWI - Alliances

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Italy

Great Britain

France

Russia

Causes of WWI - NationalismCauses of WWI - Nationalism

Causes of World War I: Nationalism

Aggressive Nationalism France and Germany Germany proud of military and Industrial

strength. French loss in Franco Prussia

War/revenge Recovery of lost provinces Alsace and

Lorraine

• Balkans 1914• Southeastern Europe

• East of Italy

• Dominated by the Austrian Hungarian Empire

• Slavic Nations

•Russia felt the need to protect the other Slavic nations because of its size.

•Pan-Slavism  - movement to unify all of the Slavic people. Trouble in Serbia with Austrian Hungarian Empire.

• Balkans 1914• The geographical position makes t very valuable as a trade route

• Controlled by Turkey for hundreds of years, but Turkey’s power was declining – she was known as “The Sick Man of Europe”

• By the 1900s, Serbia and Austria on each side were eager to control a key part of the Balkans : Bosnia

•Austria claimed the right to rule ‘cos of a deal she had with Turkey, ie Turkey used Imperialism (the right of empires to rule weaker areas) to justify her case.

•Serbia claimed the right to rule because the people living in that area are fellow Slavs. Serbia used Nationalism (the right of people to rule themselves) to justify her case.

Imperialism

• 1905 and 1911 Moroccan Crisis• France and Germany almost to the brink

of war• Morocco: France vs. Germany• Britain sides with France/resents Germany

industrial strength.• Britain and France develop closer ties.• European nations taking over parts of the

Ottoman Empire.

Causes of WWI - Assassination

Causes of WWI - Assassination

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie at Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28th, 1914.

Bibliography

• http://www.mrberlin.com/8th/WWI/World_War_I_causes.ppt#269.