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THE STAGE IS SET FOR WAR

AN UNEASY PEACE GRIPS EUROPE

• Europe had been at peace for nearly 30 years

• A whole generation had grown up ignorant to the horror of war, many believed war was a thing of the past

• Yet four factors arose to propel Europe into war

1. RISE OF NATIONALISM

• Nationalism-A deep devotion to one’s nation. Can lead people to feel their nation is better

than others

• Rivalries developed based on the competition for materials and markets

• Territorial disputes also played a role. Austria-Hungary and Russia were both trying to control the Balkans in Southwest Europe

2. IMPERIALISM

• European countries competed over colonies in Africa and Asia

• The quest for colonies nearly led to war many times

• As these countries continued to compete, their rivalry and mistrust deepened

3. THE GROWTH OF MILITARISM

• Militarism- The policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war

• Beginning in the 1890’s nationalism led to a European arms race

• Having a large and strong standing army made citizens feel patriotic

4. TANGLED ALLIANCES

• International rivalries lead to the creation of military alliances designed to keep peace

• Two great alliances existed• The Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy • The Triple Entente- Britain, France and Russia

• A dispute between any two rival nations could result in the entire continent going to war

ASSIGNMENT

• 1. Explain how each of the three factors listed led to rising tensions in Europe.

• 2. Why would military alliances have been created to keep peace?

• 3. Describe the territorial dispute between Russia and Austria-Hungary

• 4. How might a incident between any two members of the alliances lead to war?

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WWI BEGINS

CRISIS IN THE BALKANS

• The Balkan region was breaking away from the rule of the Ottoman Empire

• This area was a mix of ethnic groups and new nations sought to expand and unite members of these groups together

EUROPE’S POWDER KEG

• Serbia was a Balkan nation with a mainly Slavic population. They wanted to expand and unite all the Slavic people in the region

• Russia, also had a large Slavic population and supported Serbia

• Austria-Hungary did not support this action. They took control of Bosnia and Herzegovina which both had large Slavic populations

EUROPE’S POWDER KEG

• Serbia wanted to take this area away from Austria-Hungary, but A.H. was much more powerful and vowed to crush Serbia if they tried

• If war erupted between Austria-Hungary and Russia it would involve the two great alliances

A SHOT RINGS THROUGHOUT EUROPE

• The heir to the throne of A.H. visited Bosnia

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist who wanted to end A.H. rule

• Because he was a Serbian, A.H. demanded Serbia allow Austrian officials into Serbia to investigate

WAR BEGINS

• Serbia attempted to negotiate with Austria-Hungary over their demands

• A.H. refused to negotiate and declared war on Serbia

• In response Russia sent troops to the Austrian border. This set in motion the beginning of World War I

ASSIGNMENT

1. What single event led to the start of World War I?

2. Was the description of the Balkans as a “powder keg” accurate? Explain your answer

3. Do you think WWI was avoidable? Explain your answer

4. What was the source of conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary?

5. Why would a conflict between these two nations involve the rest of Europe?