THE FUNDAMENTAL OR MAIN CAUSES FOR THE GREAT WAR CHAPTER 27 LESSON 1 NOTES – THE FUNDAMENTAL OR MAIN CAUSES FOR THE GREAT WAR (FROM JULY 28, 1914 TO NOVEMBER 11, 1918)

a. to glorify or romanticize the idea of war; b. the desire to demonstrate one’s own armed strength; c. to prove the theory of Charles Darwin: “survival of the fittest” d. armament plants (factories) are built at record speed I. Militarism e. military and naval competition in an industrialized arms race

Alliances any combination of countries joining together, even if temporarily, for a common cause: Examples: the Triple Alliance formed by Germany’s chancellor Bismarck along with Austria-Hungary, and Italy with the common goal of isolating France; later Germany and the Dual Monarchy will be joined by the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria to form WWI’s warring side known as the Central Powers

Alliances Triple Entente; formed by Britain, France, and Russia to counter the goal of the Triple Alliance; this entente becomes the basis for the Allied Powers of the Great War

b. to counter the Triple Alliance and to better balance Europe’s power, Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente; this alliance / friendly agreement became the basis for the other warring side known as the Allied Powers.

II. Alliances

The practice by which a stronger country dominates a weaker nation forcing it to become its colony to provide the dominant country with raw materials and markets the vast trading empire of Britain from Africa to India to S.E. Asia; c. rapid industrialization by Germany threatens British interests III. Imperialism

Cecil Rhodes – supporter of British imperialism in Africa; but Britain had the least to gain in fighting a world war

Imperialism A practice by which stronger nations control weaker nations forcing them to become a colony to provide the dominant country with raw materials and markets. The vast British empire from Africa to India to south east Asia Germany’s rapid industrialization threatens British interests; Germans demand equal respect for own accomplishments

IV. Nationalism Bismarck leads the “two lads” (Alsace & Lorraine) into the German Empire 1871

to exhibit loyalty and devotion to one’s own homeland, customs, and culture; b. Serbia’s desire to lead the Slavs on the Balkan Peninsula but it is already under the control of the Hapsburg Empire; c. the policy practiced by Russia called Pan-Slavism that would support Serbia, if threatened; d. France is determined to recover its people & coal / iron in the region called Alsace-Lorraine still controlled by Germany since the Franco-Prussian War in 1870

“Ruthlessness means German unity”

Bosnia and Herzegovina, angering the Slavs in Serbia; IMMEDIATE CAUSE FOR THE GREAT WAR OF 1914 1908 – Austria-Hungary annexes the Balkan provinces, Bosnia and Herzegovina, angering the Slavs in Serbia;

the Balkan Peninsula becomes the “powder keg of Europe”

The “spark that lights the powder keg” - heir to Austrian throne, archduke Francis Ferdinand, visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, on a goodwill tour on June 28, 1914, is assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Black Hand terrorist member from Serbia

Black hand member, Gavrilo Princip, upon his arrest Hapsburg heir Francis Ferdinand and wife Sophie on good will tour in Sarajevo, Bosnia moments before their assassination G. P.

Austria issues a 48-hour [(final set of demands)] ultimatum to Serbia Serbia refuses to meet some terms of ultimatum The 1st declaration of war: on July 28, 1914: encouraged by Triple Alliance ally, Kaiser Wilhelm II [“Kaiser Bill”] of Germany, to punish the Slavs of Serbia, Austria declares war on Serbia to begin the Great War

Czar Nicholas II, King George V, & Kaiser Wilhelm II Cousins Czar Nicholas II, King George V, & Kaiser Wilhelm II

CHAIN OF EVENTS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 1ST DECLARATION OF WAR Russia’s czar, Nicholas II, in support of Serbian Slavs, (prepares soldiers for war) mobilizes his troops along the Austrian-German border Germany declares war on Russia Triple Entente member, Russia asks its ally, France, for support so… Germany declares war on France; France declares war on Germany

Germany’s Schlieffen Plan >

to attack Paris with lightning speed to avoid fighting a two-front war (France on the west / Russia on the east) > quickest attack is through neutral Belgium to reach Paris; Belgium forbids Germany to cross its border > Germany crosses border anyway > Belgium declares war on Germany Britain, to protect its proximity to Belgium, declares war on Germany

Triple Entente Triple Alliance

Austria-Hungary; a few months later, the Ottoman Empire and WW I’S WARRING SIDES: from the TRIPLE Alliance comes the Central Powers = Germany and Austria-Hungary; a few months later, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria join the Central Powers

from the TRIPLE Entente comes the Allied Powers = Britain, France, Russia; joined by Italy (hoping to gain Austrian lands after the Great War is over, the Italians choose to fight with the Allies instead of the Central Powers, betraying their commitment to the Triple Alliance); others to join the Allies: Serbia; Belgium; Japan; and the United States but not until 1917