Origins of World War

Summer 1914: The Sequence of Events June 28th - Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo July 3rd - Kaiser gives ‘blank check’ to Austria July 23rd – Austrian ultimatum to Serbia July 25th – Austria mobilizes July 28th – Russia announces partial mobilization July 31st - Russia announces full mobilization Aug. 1st - Germany declares war on Russia Aug. 3rd - Germany declares war on France Aug. 4th - German invasion of Belgium brings Britain into the War

Broader context International system regulated by balance of power – with Britain remaining aloof, trying to maintain Rising nationalism Weakening of multi-national empires Ottoman Empire Austria-Hungary Russia Increased rivalries among competing powers - growing rigidity of international alliance system

Competing alliances: Triple Alliance: Triple Entente Germany Austria-Hungary Italy Triple Entente France Russia Britain

Great powers and their interests: Full map of Europe AD 1900

Germany Anxious to secure its ‘place in the sun’ Weltpolitik (world policy): build up navy in order to rival Britain Attempts to drive Britain and France apart (1905 & 1911 Moroccan Crises) bring them together Staunch support for Austria-Hungary Willingness to consider war as tool of policy Anxious to fight a war before it is too late – i.e. before Russia completed rearmament

Austria-Hungary Multinational empire – collection of minorities -- threatened by Demands for popular participation, making it harder to maintain balance among groups Rising nationalism in Balkans Dependent on external support Anxious to contain Serbia & prevent any states on its border from becoming too powerful

Russia Autocratic multinational empire Aligned with France, Serbia Defeated in Russo-Japanese War, 1904-5 Political system broadened after Revolution of 1905: powers granted to an elected parliament (Duma), then gradually withdrawn In process of rearming and modernizing its military Aligned with France, Serbia Interested in access to Mediterranean – via Dardanelles

France Interest in reasserting itself as a great power Interest in Restraining Germany Regaining Alsace & Lorraine Desire to maintain & expand colonial holdings Alliances with Russia and Britain

Italy Interest in colonial acquisitions Interest in territorial gains from Austria South Tyrol Trieste, Fiume Nominally allied with Germany and Austria Does not become immediately involved (when it does, joins Britain and France)

Britain Preoccupied with domestic issues Anxious to maintain naval superiority, freedom of the seas, and the Empire Preference to remain aloof from continental conflicts – providing the balance in a balance of power system Guarantor of neutrals – Belgium and the Netherlands

Causes? Entangling alliances? German aggression? The balance of power system German aggression? Failure of Britain to make its position clear? Slide into war, with consequences not fully understood Inflexible military plans? Railroad timetables? Popular pressures, domestic politics? Munitions industry?

Toward an explanation Limits of balance of power as system of deterrents De-stabilizing elements: Crumbling of older empires assertions of national-self identity Germany’s weltpolitik Willingness of small number of leaders to take great risks – partially but not fully understood