INTERNATIONAL RIVALRIES AND CRISES IN THE BALKANS

International Rivalries in Europe• Bismarck realizes Germany’s emergence as a powerful

nation upset the balance of power established at the Congress of Vienna– Fears that Frances intends to create an anti-German

alliance– Makes a defensive alliance with Austria-Hungary in

1879• Italy joins in 1882 and the alliance is known as the

Triple Alliance– Bismarck maintains a separate treaty with Russia and

tries to remain on good terms with Britain - has isolated France

• 1890 Emperor Wilhelm II fires Bismarck and starts a policy dedicated to enhancing Germany’s power– Drops treaty with Russia when it comes up for

renewal• This brings Russia and France together and they

form a military alliance in 1894– Over the next ten years Germany’s policies abroad,

especially concerning the desire for a large navy and foreign empire, causes Britain to draw closer to France

• 1907 Triple Entente formed by France, Russia, and Great Britain– Europe now dangerously divided into two opposing

camps

New AlliancesTriple Alliance

Triple EntenteTriple Entente• European nations hoped these alliances would

keep the peace– Instead it causes smaller conflicts to turn into

much larger global wars

Germany Austria-Hungary Italy

France Great Britain Russia

The Moroccan Crisis• First Moroccan Crisis (1905) – Germany sends navy ships to

France’s colony of Morocco– Demands the colony and calls a Congress of European

nations to decide the matter– The only nation to side with Germany is Austria-

Hungary• Second Moroccan Crisis (1908) – Germany sends a warship

to Morocco and demands the colony and the French Congo as well– Forced once again by other European nations to back

down– France is angry since Germany has tried to steal their

colonies twice

Crises in the Balkans• Over the 19th century the Balkan provinces of the

Ottoman Empire gradually gained their freedom– By 1878 Greece, Serbia, Romania, and Montenegro

become independent states– Bulgaria is placed under the protection of Russia and

Bosnia-Herzegovina under the protection of Austria-Hungary

• In 1908 A-H annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina– Serbia is outraged – this dashes their hopes of creating

“Greater Serbia”– Wanted to create a large Serbian kingdom that would

unite all Serbs living outside the current borders

– Serbia begins to prepare for war• Serbia’s ally Russia also opposes the annexation– They start preparing for war to back the Serbs– Germany demands that Russia accept Austria-

Hungary’s annexation or face war with Germany– Russia, weakened by defeat in the Russo-Japanese

War, backs down• However they vow revenge and state they won’t

back down next time• Tension is high in Europe over the Balkan problem– Serbs blame A-H for their failure to create “Greater

Serbia”Two short wars in the Balkans

• Two short wars in the Balkans– 1912 = Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece declare war on

the Ottoman Empire– 1913 = Serbia, Greece, Romania, and the Ottomans

go to war against Bulgaria

WORLD WAR I

THE ROAD TO WAR

The Road to War: Four M.A.I.N. Causes• Militarism– Massive build up of arms leads to an arms race• New weapons and large standing armies to display

their might– Great Britain vs. Germany in a naval race• Traditional British policy is to have their fleet,

which is vital to guarding their shipping lanes, to be larger than the combined fleets of any two rival nations• Wilhelm II initiates a large build up of Germany’s

navy– War as a unifying force

• Alliances– Divides Europe into rival camps• Triple Alliance and Triple Entente

– Turns a conflict between two nations into a global war

• Imperialism– Rush for colonies leads to rivalries• Clashes over territory and competition for

resources and markets– Germany comes late to the game and wants colonies,

even going so far as trying to take Morocco from France• Rest of Europe, particularly Britain, supports

France and makes Germany back down

• Nationalism– Pride in one’s country – each nation thinks they are

the best• Best and largest armies, most colonies• Want to prove they are the best through war

– Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary fails to appease separatist movements

– Serbia wants Bosnia to be independent and is angry with Austria-Hungary

– France is still angry over the Franco-Prussian War• They want revenge and Alsace-Lorraine back

• The immediate cause: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand– Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian

throne, is visiting Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia) with his pregnant wife Sophia

– June 28, 1914 – a bomb is thrown in the Archduke’s car, but the attempt fails• The car speeds away and makes a wrong turn,

which allows Gavrilo Princip to shoot and kill both the Archduke and his wife• Princip was a member of the Black Hand, a secret

Serb nationalist group– Princip is arrested and identified as a Serb

War Begins• Austria is furious and wants to attack Serbia, but fears

Russia will interfere on Serbia’s behalf– Turns to ally Germany, who issues a “blank check”,

stating that Austria can rely on German support no matter what

– Austria issues an ultimatum to Serbia on July 25• Ultimatum = a list of demands• Some of the demands are humiliating and

outrageous, so Serbia rejects some of the demands

• Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia on July 28

– The same day Czar Nicholas II orders the mobilization of the Russian army against Austria-Hungary• Mobilization = process of assembling troops and

supplies and making them ready for war• In 1914 mobilization is considered an act of war

– Some of the mobilization took place along the German border and Germany declares war on Russia on August 1st

• due to its war plan, Germany then declares war on France on August 3rd

–Plan calls for invading France by going through neutral Belgium

• Issues an ultimatum to Belgium demanding the right for German troops to pass through Belgian territory

–On August 4th Germany invades Belgium and Great Britain declares war on Germany for violating Belgian neutrality

• Now most European powers are involved–Will be a war of attrition = wearing down of the

enemy’s resources and morale• World War I, or the Great War, has begun– Germany and Austria-Hungary become known as

the Central Powers – France, Great Britain, Russia, Belgium, and Serbia

become the Allied Powers

The Schlieffen Plan• The Schlieffen Plan is the German war plan based on a

two front war against France and Russia• The Schlieffen Plan:– Send 90% of army against France– Send 10% of army against Russia– Need a quick victory against France so they can turn

entire army against slower mobilizing Russia• Why Implemented:– Thought Russia would take a long time to mobilize– France had built fortresses along the French-German

border – must go through Belgium– Need a quick win – speed is essential

• Why fails:– Belgium resists and Great Britain enters the war– Russia mobilizes faster than expected and invades

eastern Germany– Germany has to move troops from France to protect

the German border against Russia– French victory at the Battle of the Marne

• Plan 17 – the military plan of France– Straight drive from Paris to Berlin

Early Battles• At the start of the war, a series of clashes between

German troops against French and British was known as the Battle of the Frontiers– Resulted in German victories– The Schlieffen Plan calls for German troops to sweep

around Paris and surround most of the French army– Almost succeed: are 30 miles from Paris by Sept. 1st

• First Battle of the Marne– German army makes some mistakes, officer makes a

wrong turn– Ends in a German defeat and the Allies push Germany

back• Leads to a stalemate and both sides dig trenches for

protection and shelter

Order of Entry in World War I1. First nation in the war after its heir was assassinated:2. This nation was the second one in the war after members

of a terrorist group assassinated the heir to the first nation:

3. AS a result of the above, this third nation entered the war to protect the second nation:

4. Because the third nation mobilized near its borders, this fourth nation entered the war:

5. Due to its plan of attack consisting of a two front war, the fourth nation declared war on this fifth nation:

6. This sixth nation was invaded to get to the fifth nation:7. The invasion of the sixth nation brought this seventh

nation into the war: