Causes of WWI (1914-18/19)

Unit Objectives Summarize the causes of WWI (the spark that caused the war and the M.A.I.N. isms that caused the war) Analyze if the war was avoidable

What was the spark that led to war?

-Would you have apologized if you were Serbia? -Did Serbia apologize?: THE ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY BY THE SERBIAN TERRORIST GROUP “BLACK HAND” Austria-Hungary demanded an apology from Serbia and threatened to invade if they didn’t get it -Would you have apologized if you were Serbia?   -Did Serbia apologize?:

NO—THEY FELT THEY WOULD BE INVADED EITHER WAY AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET ANY INTERNATIONAL HELP IF THEY ADMITTED A ROLE IN THE ASSASSINATION Result:   AUSTRIA-HUNGARY INVADED SERBIA

Why did this lead to a world war? Four M.A.I.N. causes of WWI 1.) Nationalism: Intense pride in your nation -Advantage of nationalism for a nation: STRONG DESIRE FOR A NATION TO GROW AND PROSPER -Disadvantage of nationalism for a nation: CAN MAKE NATIONS UNWILLING TO BACK DOWN OR COMPROMISE; CAN LEAD TO EXTREMISTS (LIKE HITLER) TAKING POWER

2.) Imperialism: One country taking over another for its own benefit LEADS NATIONS TO COMPETE FOR COLONIES 3.) Militarism: Use of military force for a nation to get what it wants WAY TO INTIMIDATE OTHER NATIONS (EX: AUSTRIA- HUNGARY VS SERBIA)

4.) Alliances -Have always been alliances, but by 1914 they had become larger and more complex than ever before -How alliances caused the situation to spiral out of control: -Russia backed Serbia: ALLIES, COMMON ETHNIC BACKGROUND -Germany backed Austria-Hungary: ALLIES -France backed Russia and Serbia: FRANCE HATED GERMANY

Germany marched through neutral Belgium (Schlieffen Plan) Plan was to quickly strike France and knock it out of the war so Germany did not face a two-front war with Russia on one side and France on the other—going through Belgium was the quickest route that provided the best surprise

The plan failed for 3 reasons: 1.) French resistance: WAS MUCH STRONGER THAN GERMANY THOUGHT; FRANCE DID NOT FALL 2.) Russian mobilization: WAS MUCH QUICKER THAN GERMANY THOUGHT (DIDN’T PROPERLY TRAIN TROOPS) 3.) Britain: HAD PROMISED TO PROTECT BELGIUM, SO DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY AFTER INVASION

Results of the failure of the Schlieffen Plan Germany ended up with two-front war anyway Germany was blamed for war in part as result of invasion of Belgium—Germany was seen as the main aggressor of the war

Main Central Powers:

GERMANY, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

Main Allied Powers at the start of the war:

BRITAIN, FRANCE, RUSSIA