World War I1914-1919

Chapter 23Section 1

Europe in 1914

Troubles in Europe

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot and killed on June 28, 1914. The assassination destroyed the delicate balance of European stability. Within weeks Europe was at war.

• The conflicts grew as European nations pursued dreams of empires, built up their armies, and formed alliances.

Nationalism• A feeling of intense loyalty to one’s country or group.

• Nationalism encouraged new nations, such as Italy and Germany, to unify and establish their power in the world.

– It also encouraged certain groups of people to break away from existing nations. These groups of people are know as ethnic groups.

• Ethnic groups: People who share a common language and traditions.

• These ethnic groups demanded independent nations of their own.

Imperial Expansion

• Tensions in Europe grew as each nation tried to expand their empire. Nations were competing for colonies in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world.

• Great Britain and France already possessed large overseas empires, but wanted to expand even more.• Germany, Italy, and Russia wanted to increase their

colonial holdings as well.» Few areas were left to colonize, which meant expansion by

one nation brought it into conflict with another power.

Military Buildup

Forming Alliances

• Alliance system: a defense agreement among nations. – By 1914 two major alliances had been established:

1. Triple Alliance: 2. Triple Entente:- Germany - Great Britain- Austria- Hungary - France- Italy - Russia

• An entente is an understanding among nations.

• These alliances aimed to keep peace by creating a balance of power.

– Balance of power: a system that prevents any one country from dominating the other countries.

• The alliance system actually posed a great danger.

Crisis in the Balkans• The Balkan Peninsula

in southeastern Europe was a hotbed of nationalists and ethnic rivalries in the early 1900s.

• Greece, Albania, Romania, and Bulgaria argued over territory, while Slavic nations hoped to unite all Slavic peoples in the region.

Assassination• June 28, 1914- Archduke Franz Ferdinand is

assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a member of a Serbian nationalist group. – This murder was planned by Princip and many other

terrorists to advance the cause of the unification of the Slavic peoples.

• Austria- Hungary blamed the Serbian government for the assassination and moved to crush the Serbian nationalist movement.– After making sure its ally, Germany, supported its decision,

Austria-Hungary sent a letter to Serbia with a list of very harsh demands. When the Serbian government refused the demands, Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.

• Europe’s system of alliances caused the war to spread:– Russia, which had agreed to protect Serbia, prepared

for war. This brought Germany into the war because Germany and Austria-Hungary were allies.

– Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. – Knowing that France was an ally of Russia, Germany

declared war on France on August 3, 1914.– On August 4, Germany invaded Belgium as part of a

plan to sweep across eastern and northern France. This violated a treaty signed in 1839 that guaranteed Belgium neutrality. This invasion prompted Great Britain to honor its pledge to protect Belgium; Great Britain then declared war on Germany.

A World War Begins

Compare and Contrast

• The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in October of 1914.

• Japan joined the Allies in late August 1914.

• Italy refused to honor its alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Instead, Italy joined the Allies in 1915 and being promised land in Austria after the war.

Fighting on the Western Front

• The Battle of the Marne, fought between September 5 and 12, 1914.– This battle saved Paris from invasion by the Germans. It also made it

clear than neither side was capable of winning the war quickly or easily.– For the next three years, the opposing armies faced each other across

an elaborate network of deep trenches. These trenches provided some protection from flying bullets and artillery shells. Trenches served as headquarters, first-aid stations, and storage areas.

• The Battle of Verdun, began in February and continued on and off until December.– This was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war. When it

was over, more than 750,000 French and German soldiers had lost their lives.

• The Battle of the Somme, in July, was launched by the French and British in northern France.

Deadly Technology

• Many new weapons emerged during World War I. – Poison gas (April 1915)– The armored tank (January 1916)– Airplanes • Fighter planes equipped with machine guns.

– Submarines

On the Seas

• Great Britain blockaded all ports under German control. This eventually led to shortages, which caused many Germans to suffer from malnutrition and illness because of lack of food and other supplies.– Germany responded to the blockade by using

submarines known as U-Boats. These submarines prevented supplies from reaching Great Britain.

– U-boat attacks eventually affected the U.S. and changed the course of the war.

Activity