Transcript The Causes

“Nobody can go back and start a
new beginning, but anyone can start
today and make a new ending.”
- Maria Robinson
Cats can hear ultrasound.
World War I: The Causes
of the Great War
Europe on the Eve of the War


Nationalism in Europe
(2:23)
#1: Nationalism

Devotion to the interests or culture of
one's nation.

The belief that nations will benefit from
acting independently rather than
collectively, emphasizing national rather
than international goals.

Aspirations for national independence in
a country under foreign domination.
Nationalism

The feeling of Nationalism that
unified Germany in 1871 continued
into the 20th Century; the Germans
wanted to expand.

French Nationalists wanted revenge
against Germany for the loss of
Alsace-Lorraine in the 1870-1871
Franco-Prussian War.
Alsace-Lorraine
Nationalism

In Austria-Hungary, Slavic nationalism
was gathering strength under the concept
of Pan-Slavism.

Pan-Slavism: Slavs had a historic
mission to develop their culture and to
unite into an empire.

It would be the Serbian Slavs’s actions
that would eventually trigger WWI.
Nationalism

Aus-Hun feared the Serbian unrest in the
Balkans would destabilize and break up the
empire.

The Serbian nationalists wanted to establish
the Yugoslav (“Pan-Slavism”) state with
Serbia as the center.

In response to this nationalism, Aus-Hun
annexed the Slavic territories of BosniaHerzegovina which sparked the Balkan Wars.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Balkan Wars

1st Balkan War 1912: Serbs wanted to annex
Albania but were unsuccessful.

2nd Balkan War 1913: Albania became
independent which frustrated Serbians even
more.

What did this war show?: the level of
nationalism among Serbs, the weakness of
Russia (Serbian-Ally (Russo-Jap. War 19041905), and the weakening Aus-Hun Empire.

Building Global Empires and Military
Alliances [01:46]
#2: Imperialism

Imperialism was an outgrowth of the
Industrialization occurring in the European
powers.

Industrialization caused many of these European
powers to enter into fierce competition with each
other.

Part of the competition was imperialism: The
policy of extending a nation's authority by
territorial acquisition or by the establishment of
economic and political hegemony over other
nations.
Imperialism

Great Britain, France, Germany, AustriaHungary, Russia, and Italy sought to acquire
new markets and to establish and expand
global empires.

G.B.: sea lanes, France: Morocco, Germany:
Ottoman Empire, Aus-Hun.: Balkans/Aegean
Sea, Russia: Bosporus / Dardanelles.

Competition turned to hostility as one power
crossed another in its efforts to accomplish its
goals.
#3: Militarism

The rise of tensions through imperialism,
industrialization, and nationalism brought
with it a rise in militarism.

Militarism: the glorification of war and the
military.

With militarism, the competition between the
European countries drastically increased.
The European nations began comparing
their capabilities to wage war.
Militarism

With militarism, diplomats sought to win new
allies, military leaders called for increased
military spending, and after 1870 all the
powers except G.B. enacted conscription.

Conscription: the compulsory call-up of
civilians for military service and universal
military training.

With each nations’ efforts in build up, the
other nations would react accordingly.
#4: The Entangling Alliances

With militarism, alliances between the
European powers began to harden.

1879: Germany and Austria-Hungary.
1882: Italy joins Germany and Aus-Hun.
(Triple Alliance).
1894: France and Russia.
1904: France and G.B. (Entente Cordiale),
then later the Triple Entente (Fr., G.B., and
Russ.).

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The Entangling Alliances
The Entangling Alliances
The Entangling Alliances

By 1907, the powers of Europe had
aligned themselves into two opposing
organizations: Triple Alliance (Germ.,
Aus-Hun., and Italy) vs. Triple Entente
(G.B., Fr., and Russ.).

Rather than make these countries feel
secure, it only increased their anxiety;
if one country went to war, their allies
would be obliged to provide assistance.
#5: The Assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
#5: The Assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand

December 18, 1863- June 28,
1914.

Heir to the Aus-Hun throne.

On June 28, 1914 at
approximately 11:00 am, Franz
his wife were killed in
Sarajevo, the capital of the
Austro-Hungarian province of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Their assassination was
organized by a group of
Serbian nationalists known as
the Black Hand.
Gavrilo Princip
The Assassination that
Sparked the War

Franz Ferdinand planned, upon becoming
emperor, to give the Slavs of BosniaHerzegovina and other parts of the empire
a voice in the government equal to that of
the Austrians and Hungarians.

This assassination caused Austria-Hungry
to declare war on Serbia; thusly WWI
begins.

1914: Austria-Hungary Declares War
Against Serbia [01:26]