The world… EUROPE BRITAIN AUSTRALIA THE WORLD……
EUROPE PRE 1913 FRANCE GERMAN EMPIRE BRITAIN AUSTRIA/HUNGARY
Wanted more land Felt cheated out of land lost in past conflicts Were very proud of who they were and their own nationality This sense of pride in their own nationality was called… NATIONALISM The most influential country was ….. In the years leading up to the first world war Europe was plagued by unrest, each country ;
BRITAIN * Was the strongest power * Her products were sold all over the world * Largest colonial empire * Royal navy ruled the sea “the sun never sets on the British Empire” But…….
GERMANY At the beginning of the 1900’s……………… * Began to challenge Britain in shipping and trade * Were hard working and efficient * Outstripped Britain in the production of coal, iron and steel. The rivalry between Germans and Britons grew even stronger and more bitter…..
FRANCE GERMAN EMPIRE BRITAIN AUSTRIA/HUNGARY By 1914 the Nationalism spreading through Europe had created a lot of ‘sore spots’….. One of these was ALSACE LORRAINE… a country between Germany and France
Alsace Lorraine was a rich industrial country positioned between Germany and France. Both countries had fought over it for a thousand years. Germany won control over it in the war of … Now France wanted it back.
So, as you can see… it wasn’t a very friendly little neighborhood.. …and it gets worse….. *German hated England *England hated Germany *France hated Germany *Germany hated France *Alsace Lorraine was worried about both Germany and France
FRANCE GERMAN EMPIRE BRITAIN
This region was made up of a mix of different nationalities, Austrians and Hungarians were the largest group. The rest were Czechoslovakians, Polish, Serbian and Rumanians. They all wanted to break away and form their own nations. ……it was in the center of this conflict the first shot was fired
And then there were the Balkans …. The name used for the countries just below Austro- Hungary. The Turks held this land but. Greece, Serbia, Montegro and Bulgaria all wanted the land for their own. They combined to beat Turkey over control over the land in 1912….but now could not decide on how to divide it up amongst themselves…..!
And last..but not least…there was POLAND -Poland was not even on the map in In the late 1800’s it had been spilt up 3 times among Russia, Austria and Hungary But the feeling of Polish nationalism never died. All over Europe there were people who still spoke Polish and had Polish customs. They wanted their country back !………
Each country was scared a war would break out … and began to prepare for war………… The people in the nations were heavily taxed to pay for weapons of war,, They resented this….. Restless and uneasy the nations of Europe began to combine to form a series of Alliances and Treaties between two or more nations……..
TRIPLE ENTENDETRIPLE ALLIANCE FRANCE RUSSIA GREAT BRITAIN GERMANY AUSTRO- HUNGARY ITALY