Militarism

Alliance System

Imperial Tensions

Nationalism

Glorificationof war!

Better pointed bullets than

pointed speeches!

Military expenditures increased dramatically beginning in the 1850s and they tripled in the 50 years before WWI.

In particular, Germany began to try to compete with Britain’s Navy,

the dominant force at the time.

The nations of Europe promised to protect Belgium’s neutrality and independence to create a buffer zone

As the German states were unifying into the Prussian Empire under Otto Von Bismarck conflict arose with the French. The French felt unification would destroy the

traditional balance of power in Europe and threaten French sovereignty.

Napoleon III began to push for “natural borders” at the Rhine which led to political conflict with the German states. War broke out over

territory in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Alsace-Lorraine.

Following the capture of Napoleon III, the war ended. The Third French Republic was established and territory in the

Alsace-Lorraine was seeded to the new German Empire.

Germany consistently increased its control over politics on the continent and French resentment toward the Germans

increased dramatically. The general dislike for Germany led to a great deal of popular support for French involvement in WWI.

While some countries hoped to expand their power and influence in

the world, other groups of people (particularly Slavs living in the Balkans) were simply hoping to establish

their own states.

The Balkans are really important…we will be talking this area a lot!

I. MAIN Causes of World War I

A. Militarism

1. Military power was glorified ("realpolitik", "blood and iron", etc.)2. Military spending tripled; new weapons created; German naval expansion

B. Alliance System

1. Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy2. Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia3. Treaty of London, 1839: agreement to defend the neutrality and independence of Belgium

C. Imperial Tensions

1. Countries competed for colonies and territory increasing tension2. Berlin Conference only delayed open conflict

D. Nationalism

1. Extreme pride led to disputes over who was the best2. Nations wanted increased size/independence3. Rivalry between France and Germany (Franco-Prussian War [1870-71])4. Serbian Nationalism in Austria-Hungary and the Balkans

The Balkans has been a politically unstable area for the last 120 years, mostly due to the variety of ethnic groups living so close to one another.

ALBANIANS MACEDONIANS

GREEKS ROMANIANS

GYPSIES SLAVS

ROMA BULGARIANS

HUNGARIANS CROATIANS

JEWS SERBIANS

SLOVENES TURKS

Currents of Trouble

A. The Ottoman Empire was collapsing in the late 1800s; many Balkan nations began to declare their independence

B. Serbia declares its independence and Serbian Nationalism grows

1. Large Slavic population

2. Desire to absorb all Slavs in the Balkans

3. Neighboring countries did not all support this plan, especially Austria-Hungary which was a Germanic nation

I love Serbia,for I am also amostly Slavic

country

I fear Serbia,for their growth might

make my Slavicpopulation revolt

• In 1908, Austria-Hungary took over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Serbia also claimed

• Serbia threatened war, but their Slavic ally Russia was weaker than Austria-Hungary’s Germanic ally Germany; nothing happened

• Serbia continued to expand and the situation remained tense

Wait…so…both Austria and Serbia feel that they have a right to control

Bosnia and Herzegovina…

But Austria is bigger…and they

are allied with Germany, which means there is

nothing Serbia can do about it.

The Balkan Peninsula became

unstable during the decline of the Ottoman

Empire

Germanic and Slavic

people/nations competing for control of the

Balkans

Serbia becomes independent,

Serbian Nationalism grows, and the Black

Hand (a militant Serbian nationalist group) is formed

D. General underlying causes of the war

1. Balkan Peninsula became unstable during the decline of the Ottoman Empire

2. Germanic and Slavic people/nations competing for control of the Balkans

3. Serbia becomes independent, Serbian Nationalism grows, and the Black Hand (a militant Serbian nationalist group) is formed

Artist:Franz

Ferdinand

So if you're lonelyYou know I'm here waiting for youI'm just a cross-hairI'm just a shot away from youAnd if you leave hereYou leave me broken, shattered I lieI'm just a cross-hairI'm just a shot, then we can die I know I won't be leaving here with you

I say don't you knowYou say you don't knowI say... take me outI stay, you don't showDon't move, time is slowI say... take me outI say don't you knowYou say you don't goI say... take me outIf I move, this could dieIf eyes move, this could dieI want you... to take me out

IV. The "Powder Keg" in the Balkans Explodes

A. "The Spark": June 28th, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian Black

Hand

But wait…how did the assassination of an

Austrian monarch by a bunch of Serbian radicals in Sarajevo, Bosnia cause

an entire world war?

On July 23rd, 1914 Austria-Hungary threatened war with Serbia if the assassins were not turned over for prosecution

So…on July 28th, 1914, five days later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

As expected, that same day (July 28th), Russian troops began to mobilize to come to the defense of her Slavic ally

Serbia

B. July 23rd, 1914: Austria-Hungary presents Serbia with an ultimatum: turn over members of the Black Hand or face war

C. July 28th, 1914: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

D. July 28th, 1914: Russian troops begin deployment to defend Serbia

E. July 31st, 1914: Germany mobilizes to defend Austria per the agreement in the Triple Alliance; Germany also demands that Russia stop mobilization

Ottoman Empire

F. August 1st, 1914: Germany declares war on Russia

Ottoman Empire

G. August 1st, 1914: France begins to mobilize due to loose commitment to Russia as a member of the Triple Entente

Ottoman Empire

H. August 2nd, 1914: Germany and the Ottoman Empire sign a treaty entering into a secret alliance; Germany demands that France remain neutral

Ottoman Empire

I. August 3rd, 1914: France tells Germany that she will "act in accordance with her interests"; Germany declares war on France

Ottoman Empire

J. August 4th, 1914: Germany begins an invasion of Belgium

Ottoman Empire

K. August 4th, 1914: Britain declares war on Germany per the agreement to defend Belgium in the Treaty of London (1839)

Ottoman Empire

Wow…that is a real mess…it sure would be convenient to have a handy diagram of

those alliances to take a look at…

L. Within a month of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand all the major European powers were at war, though many of them really had nothing to do with the initial cause of the conflict!