World War I The GREAT WAR Begins
Kaiser Wilhelm II Ruled Germany 1888-1918 Arrogant, impatient & self absorbed ruler Did not want to share power Loved the army: said “I and the army were born for each other” Forced Otto Von Bismarck to resign in 1890 Wanted to show Germany was GREAT!
Wilhelm II’s 2 Critical Mistakes Kaiser Wilhelm II He let Germany’s alliance with Russia collapse [1890] Built a large Navy to compete with Great Britain [1897]
Alliances divide Europe France forms treaty with Russia Triple Entente 1907 Triple Alliance 1882
Crisis in the Balkans Home to various ethnic groups Formerly controlled by Ottoman Empire Known as Europe’s Powder Keg
Serbia Nationalism was a powerful force Serbia wanted to absorb all Slavs in the Balkans Bosnia was Slavic but the Austro-Hungarian Empire controlled Bosnia Slavic = a family of languages including Russian, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian, etc
Serbia’s desire for Bosnia created TENSION: Russia versus Austria-Hungary Russia supported Serbian desire for Slav unity
Powder Keg Explodes The Archduke Franz Ferdinand visits Bosnia June 12th, 1914 He was assassinated by a Serbian Austria-Hungary uses this to punish Serbia
Reading: The Tale of an Assassination
The Start of War Assassination of Archduke June 1914 Austria gives Serbia ultimatum Serbia proposes compromise Austria declares war on Serbia Russia assembles troops on Austria & Germany border Germany Declares war on Russia & France