CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I:

M.A.I.N.

SETTING THE STAGE

• Europe in relative peace for 75 years• Believed

technological progress made war a thing of the past

RISING TENSIONS : MILITARISM• Militarism – glorifying

military power and keeping army prepared • Army proves power• Necessary to protect

colonies • Competition for colonies =

rivalries and mistrust• Arms race• Each country trying for the

best military• Important to mobilize

quickly

RISING TENSIONS : ALLIANCES• Germany worried about French aggression • Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary• 1881 – Triple Alliance created when Italy joins • Wilhelm II comes to power

• Russia signs pact with France• Wilhelm starts to build big navy • Goal: rival British navy

• Triple Entente:• Great Britain• France• Russia

RISING TENSIONS : IMPERIALISM

• Colonies were best way to prove power • What do you need for

colonies?• Strong military• Industrialized country

• What do colonies give you?• Strong sense of nationalism • Raw materials• Manpower

RISING TENSIONS : NATIONALISM

• Nationalism – deep devotion to one’s country• Unifying force within country• Causes deep distrust and

competition between nations

• Great Powers • France, Great Britain, Austria-

Hungary, Germany, Italy, and Russia

• Rivalries among them lead to increased tensions

CRISIS IN THE BALKANS: POWDER KEG OF EUROPE

• Balkan region in OE• OE in decline, ethnic

groups breaking away• Countries that broke

away:• Greece• Montenegro• Serbia• Romania• Bulgaria

• Most countries wanted to expand borders• Meant needed to take

from neighbors

THE POWDER KEG OF EUROPE: CASE STUDY

• Serbia • Serbia wanted ALL Slavs in

the Balkan region• Russia supported Serbia• Austria-Hungary did not like

it b/c Slavs were in Empire • 1908 – AH annexed Bosnia

and Herzegovina (both Slavic areas)

• Vows:• Serbia promised to take

areas away from AH • AH promised to meet Serbian

aggression with force

POWDER KEG’S SPARK: THE SHOT IN SARAJEVO

• Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia • Actors:• Franz Ferdinand – heir to the

Austro-Hungarian throne• Sophia – his wife • Black Hand – Serbian

nationalist group, wanted to take Bosnia from Austria

• Gavrilo Princip – member of Black Hand

• Event:• Gavrilo Princip assassinated

both Franz Ferdinand

POWDER KEG’S SPARK: OUTCOME

• AH uses the murders to punish Serbia• Gave Serbia an ultimatum • Backed by Germany, BLANK

CHECK• Germany said it would back

ANY play, including war• Serbia (backed by Russia)

declines AH’s ultimatum• AH declared war on Serbia• Russia starts to mobilize its

troops the same day

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What (if anything) could have been done to keep World War I from happening?

This does not just need to be “no alliances or colonies”. Those existed so what else could have been done?