NATIONAL INTEREST AND WORLD WAR ONE Top ten things you need to know

1 National interest What is best for your nation or nation-state Changes over time and in response to various circumstances, political views of those in power

2 1914 Major empires crumbling Arms race Britain and Germany Alliances

3 Triple Alliance Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy Triple Entente France, Britain, Russia 3

4 National sovereignty Nations within the empires want independence (ideas of the Enlightenment and eighteenth/ nineteenth century revolutions were spreading) Austria-Hungary many different ethnicities = difficult to control wanting to expand territory = annex Bosnia Serbia (allied with Russia) wants to expand their control over the Balkan peninsula

5 “The Spark” The Austro-Hungarian archduke (like a prince) Ferdinand comes to Bosnia to assert their power over the region (warned not to) Serbian terrorist groups (tolerated by the government) - kill Ferdinand

6 Dominoes Austria-Hungary demands to come in to run the investigation Serbia refuses Austria-Hungary gives an ultimatum which is ignored and so declares war (but then doesn’t do anything) Russia mobilizes their troops to defend Serbia Germany declares war on Russia to support their alliance with Austria-Hungary France declares war on Germany to support their alliance with Russia, and get revenge for Franco- Prussian War

7 It’s on! Schlieffen Plan To prevent a two front war, go after France quickly (surprise them by going through Belgium) and then you can turn around and hit the slow moving Russians Britain has an alliance with France and Russia, AND has an old treaty with Belgium to protect them “Scrap of paper”

8 World War? While the fighting all occurred in Europe, those European countries had colonies who also came and got involved in the fight

9 Canada 1867 BNA Act gave us sovereignty over domestic affairs, but not foreign = we have no choice but to participate We celebrated (“It’ll be over by Christmas)

10 Who’s to blame? Germany: Annexed Alsace-Lorraine in 1871, had aggressive foreign policy of expansion and military build up, competed in naval race with Britain, encouraged Austria’s conflict with Serbia HOPE: Supremacy of Germany Austria-Hungary: employed aggressive foreign policy in Balkans, used pretext of assassination to attack and attempt to annex Serbia HOPE: destroy Serbia and strengthen Empire Serbia: Encouraged resistance to Austro-Hungarian Empire, served as a base for terrorist organizations HOPE: Bring together the central Slavic people

Russia: Encouraged Serb goal of acquiring Bosnia-Herzegovina, aggressively supported Serbia in Balkan Wars, creating tensions between Triple Alliance/Entente, mobilized troops HOPE: Being the champion of Pan-Slavism (Father figure) Britain: Competed in arms race with Germany, kept treaty with Belgium a secret from Germany HOPE: British supremacy (nationalism) France: sought war of revenge against Germany (Franco-Prussian War) , clashed with Germany and Italy in foreign policy, encouraged Russian mobilization HOPE: Return losses of Franco-Prussian War (esp. Alscace-Lorraine)