Transcript The MAIN Causes of - Two Rivers Public School District

The
MAIN
Causes of
World War I
The MAIN Causes
Militarism
Alliance Systems
Imperialism
Nationalism
Militarism
 Militarism – building up military to be prepared for
war and/or used as a tool of diplomacy
Total Defense Expenditures of Great Powers
(Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, Britain, Russia)
*in millions
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1914
$156
$216
$256
$446
$481
$662
1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures
France
10%
Britain
13%
Russia
39%
Germany
73%
Alliance Systems
 Alliance – a formal agreement or union
between nations

promise to aid and protect one another
Triple Entente
Great Britain
France
Russia
Triple Alliance
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
Imperialism
 One country taking over another
economically and politically
Nationalism
 Nationalism – pride in or devotion to one’s
country
Assassination
 Balkan Peninsula – much interest
 Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to Austria-Hungary throne
 Sarajevo, Bosnia
 Killed by Gavrilo Princip
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Serbian nationalist
Black Hand member
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie at
Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28th, 1914.
Artist’s depiction of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Austria blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death;
declared war on Serbia.
Germany pledges support for Austria-Hungary.
Russia pledges support for Serbia.
Germany declares war on Russia.
France pledges support for Russia.
Germany declares war on France.
Germany invades Belgium on the way to
France.
Great Britain supports Belgium; declares war on
Germany.
Allied Powers
Great Britain
Central Powers
Ottoman
Empire
Germany
France
Austria-Hungary
Russia
Attitudes about war
 Most soldiers excited
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Family tradition
Becoming heroes
No major wars in many years
 Many volunteer

Drafts still need to be used
 Expect quick end to war
Overview of the War
 3 Fronts
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Western – French/German border
Eastern – German/Russian border
Rest of World – seas, Africa, Asia
 Trench Warfare
 New Weapons

Poison Gas, Machine Gun, Tank, Submarine
German Strategies
 Schlieffen Plan
 Doesn’t want to fight
on 2 fronts
 Attack & defeat France
1st
 Then Russia
 Submarine attacks
 On Navies
 On transport ships
 Total War – all
resources towards
war
Russia in WWI
 Attack Austria & Germany

Top resource is # of people
 Are cut off from supplies – no rail lines
 Leaves war in 1917

Chaos erupts to tough living
US’s role in WWI
 Want to avoid
 Pulled in by German sub warfare
 Joins war in 1917


Zimmerman telegraph
Brings new energy, resources, and troops
A New Kind of War
 Trench Warfare
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Front Line
Support
Reserve
Dugouts - offices
“No Man’s Land” – space between sides
Saps – shallow trenches facing opponent
Trench Warfare