Cats can hear ultrasound. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson Cats can hear ultrasound.

World War I: The Causes of the Great War

Europe on the Eve of the War

Nationalism in Europe (2:23)

#1: Nationalism Devotion to the interests or culture of one's nation. The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals. Aspirations for national independence in a country under foreign domination.

Nationalism The feeling of Nationalism that unified Germany in 1871 continued into the 20th Century; the Germans wanted to expand. French Nationalists wanted revenge against Germany for the loss of Alsace-Lorraine in the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War.

Alsace-Lorraine

Nationalism In Austria-Hungary, Slavic nationalism was gathering strength under the concept of Pan-Slavism. Pan-Slavism: Slavs had a historic mission to develop their culture and to unite into an empire. It would be the Serbian Slavs’s actions that would eventually trigger WWI.

Nationalism Aus-Hun feared the Serbian unrest in the Balkans would destabilize and break up the empire. The Serbian nationalists wanted to establish the Yugoslav (“Pan-Slavism”) state with Serbia as the center. In response to this nationalism, Aus-Hun annexed the Slavic territories of Bosnia-Herzegovina which sparked the Balkan Wars.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

The Balkan Wars 1st Balkan War 1912: Serbs wanted to annex Albania but were unsuccessful. 2nd Balkan War 1913: Albania became independent which frustrated Serbians even more. What did this war show?: the level of nationalism among Serbs, the weakness of Russia (Serbian-Ally (Russo-Jap. War 1904-1905), and the weakening Aus-Hun Empire.

Building Global Empires and Military Alliances [01:46]

#2: Imperialism Imperialism was an outgrowth of the Industrialization occurring in the European powers. Industrialization caused many of these European powers to enter into fierce competition with each other. Part of the competition was imperialism: The policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations.

Imperialism Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Italy sought to acquire new markets and to establish and expand global empires. G.B.: sea lanes, France: Morocco, Germany: Ottoman Empire, Aus-Hun.: Balkans/Aegean Sea, Russia: Bosporus / Dardanelles. Competition turned to hostility as one power crossed another in its efforts to accomplish its goals.

#3: Militarism The rise of tensions through imperialism, industrialization, and nationalism brought with it a rise in militarism. Militarism: the glorification of war and the military. With militarism, the competition between the European countries drastically increased. The European nations began comparing their capabilities to wage war.

Militarism With militarism, diplomats sought to win new allies, military leaders called for increased military spending, and after 1870 all the powers except G.B. enacted conscription. Conscription: the compulsory call-up of civilians for military service and universal military training. With each nations’ efforts in build up, the other nations would react accordingly.

#4: The Entangling Alliances With militarism, alliances between the European powers began to harden. 1879: Germany and Austria-Hungary. 1882: Italy joins Germany and Aus-Hun. (Triple Alliance). 1894: France and Russia. 1904: France and G.B. (Entente Cordiale), then later the Triple Entente (Fr., G.B., and Russ.).

The Entangling Alliances

The Entangling Alliances

The Entangling Alliances By 1907, the powers of Europe had aligned themselves into two opposing organizations: Triple Alliance (Germ., Aus-Hun., and Italy) vs. Triple Entente (G.B., Fr., and Russ.). Rather than make these countries feel secure, it only increased their anxiety; if one country went to war, their allies would be obliged to provide assistance.

#5: The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

#5: The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand December 18, 1863- June 28, 1914. Heir to the Aus-Hun throne. On June 28, 1914 at approximately 11:00 am, Franz his wife were killed in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their assassination was organized by a group of Serbian nationalists known as the Black Hand.

Gavrilo Princip

The Assassination that Sparked the War Franz Ferdinand planned, upon becoming emperor, to give the Slavs of Bosnia-Herzegovina and other parts of the empire a voice in the government equal to that of the Austrians and Hungarians. This assassination caused Austria-Hungry to declare war on Serbia; thusly WWI begins.

1914: Austria-Hungary Declares War Against Serbia [01:26]