Long Term Causes of WW1

Transcript Long Term Causes of WW1 - Sutton Grammar School for Boys

The six areas

 Imperialism  War Plans  Nationalism  Alliance System  Arms Race  Militarism

Imperialism

 Colonising territory seen as part of being a Great Power  ‘Scramble for Africa’ epitomised this  Germany wanted her ‘place in the sun’  Britain and France anxious about competition  Imperialism linked directly to aggression and militarism

War Plans

 In 1905 Germany developed the ‘Schlieffen Plan’  The idea was to defeat France in 6 weeks and then attack Russia  Germany needed this plan to avoid her biggest fear – a war on two fronts  Britain, France, Russia and Austria Hungary all have similar military plans well developed by 1914

Nationalism

    Characterised by thinking your nation is superior – wanting to be dominant Also means a desire to be free and independent Especially rife in the Balkan States, which wanted independence from Austria Hungary – Slav nationalism Created increasing tension between all the nations of Europe

Alliance System

 European peace depended on a balance of power  The shifting of Alliances between 1890 1914 upset this balance  If the Alliance System kicked in fully, it would escalate to a Pan European War  Two opposing Alliance Systems heightened tension across the continent

Yellow = Triple Alliance (1882) Red = Triple Entente (1907)

Arms Race

 Germany was keen to challenge British Naval Supremacy  Warships were built in increasing numbers  All the Great Powers increased the size of their armed forces  New technologies and industrial advances ensured that the weapons would be more destructive than ever before

Defence Spending, 1870-1914

400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 £m 1870 94 1880 130 1890 154 1900 268 1910 289 1914 398

Building Dreadnoughts, 1906-1914

8 6 4 2 0 Germany Great Britain 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 0 1 0 3 4 2 3 2 1 3 3 5 2 3 3 7 1 3

Militarism

 Linked to the Arms Race – more an attitude than a specific event  War seen as a legitimate foreign policy  Military Generals often have influence in the government  Early 20 th Century governments were often backward and corrupt

Agadir Crisis 1911