Transcript LONG-TERM CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I

LONG-TERM CAUSES OF
WORLD WAR I
Introduction:
 Germany created nervousness among other
European countries because of economic and
military potential.
 French was hostile towards Germany because
the humiliation of the war in 1871 and the loss
of Alsace-Lorraine.
 Germany worked on consolidating its position
and power in Europe without applying an
aggressive foreign policy but web of alliances.
 Germany’s main aim was to keep France
isolated and have Russia as an ally to avoid a
two-front war.
Web of alliances
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Created by the German Chancellor Bismarck and the
first ruler Kaiser Wilhelm I
1873
The Dreikaiserbund of three
Emperors’ League
1879
The Dual Alliance
1881
Austro-Serbian Alliance
Jointed Germany, Russia
and Austria-Hungary into
an alliance, keeping
Frnace Isolated
Germany and AustriaHungary made an alliance
to protect themselves from
Russia
Austria-Hungary made an
alliance with Serbia to stop
Russia gaining control of
Serbia
1882
The Triple Alliance
1887
The Reinsurance Treaty
Germany and AustriaHungary made an alliance
with Italy to stop Italy from
taking sides with Russia
The Three Emperor Alliance
fell to pieces due to
Balkans prolems in 1885.
This separate treaty with
Russia avoid risk of a war
on two fronts.
The New Course
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The young Kaiser Wilhelm II and the
new Chancellor, Caprivi overturned
Bismarck’s alliances.
With the Franco-Russian Alliance in
1894, France was free of its isolation
and Germany could face now a war
of two fronts.
Germany had a political anti-British
clause.
Weltpolitik: A policy that would
make Germany a colonial power
with an overseas empire and
navy.
Imperialism
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A country takes over new lands or countries and
rule them becoming its colonies.
Europeans dominated countries in Africa and
the Far East competing to build vast empires.
It was driven by
economic motives
as cheap raw
material, new
markets and lowcost labor forces.
The emergence of the alliance
system
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In 1897, Germany mounted a naval challenge
to Britain building 17 ships in the next 7 years.
The British Splendid Isolation was no longer
useful.
Britain started to seek security through
alliances with Japan, France and Russia.
By the end, Europe was divided in two alliance
systems: The Triple Entente and the Triple
Alliance.
There was a naval race between Germany and
Britain. Britain built the Dreadnought but with it
nullified its historical naval advantage.
The situation in the Balkans
The Balkans was a very unstable area.
 Turkey
– Once ruled the Balkans. The Serbs, Greeks
and Bulgars were already independent. So
Turkey was struggling to hold its remaining
territories.
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Austria-Hungary
– Lost the control of their multi-ethnic empire.
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Russia
– The Balkans was strategically important to
Russia.
– Russian sympathize with the Slavs.