The Stage Is Set For War 13.1

An Uneasy Peace Grips Europe Europe had been at peace for nearly 30 years A whole generation had grown up ignorant to the horror of war, many believed war was a thing of the past Yet four factors arose to propel Europe into war

1. Rise of Nationalism Nationalism-A deep devotion to one’s nation. Can lead people to feel their nation is better than others Rivalries developed based on the competition for materials and markets Territorial disputes also played a role. Austria-Hungary and Russia were both trying to control the Balkans in Southwest Europe

2. Imperialism European countries competed over colonies in Africa and Asia The quest for colonies nearly led to war many times As these countries continued to compete, their rivalry and mistrust deepened

3. The Growth of Militarism Militarism- The policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war Beginning in the 1890’s nationalism led to a European arms race Having a large and strong standing army made citizens feel patriotic

4. Tangled Alliances International rivalries lead to the creation of military alliances designed to keep peace Two great alliances existed The Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy The Triple Entente- Britain, France and Russia A dispute between any two rival nations could result in the entire continent going to war

Assignment 1. Explain how each of the three factors listed led to rising tensions in Europe. 2. Why would military alliances have been created to keep peace? 3. Describe the territorial dispute between Russia and Austria-Hungary 4. How might a incident between any two members of the alliances lead to war?

WWI Begins 14.1.2

Crisis in the Balkans The Balkan region was breaking away from the rule of the Ottoman Empire This area was a mix of ethnic groups and new nations sought to expand and unite members of these groups together

Europe’s powder keg Serbia was a Balkan nation with a mainly Slavic population. They wanted to expand and unite all the Slavic people in the region Russia, also had a large Slavic population and supported Serbia Austria-Hungary did not support this action. They took control of Bosnia and Herzegovina which both had large Slavic populations

Europe’s powder keg Serbia wanted to take this area away from Austria-Hungary, but A.H. was much more powerful and vowed to crush Serbia if they tried If war erupted between Austria-Hungary and Russia it would involve the two great alliances

A Shot Rings Throughout Europe The heir to the throne of A.H. visited Bosnia Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist who wanted to end A.H. rule Because he was a Serbian, A.H. demanded Serbia allow Austrian officials into Serbia to investigate

War Begins Serbia attempted to negotiate with Austria-Hungary over their demands A.H. refused to negotiate and declared war on Serbia In response Russia sent troops to the Austrian border. This set in motion the beginning of World War I

Assignment What single event led to the start of World War I? Was the description of the Balkans as a “powder keg” accurate? Explain your answer Do you think WWI was avoidable? Explain your answer What was the source of conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary? Why would a conflict between these two nations involve the rest of Europe?