World War I A.What is it? B.Causes

A. What is it? A war that lasted from 1914 – 1918 It involved all major European powers and their colonies, the United States, and Japan Also called the “Great War” It was supposed to be the war that ended all wars Instead it would end up causing a world wide depression and eventually World War II

B. Causes There are 4 main causes to World War I –Nationalism –Imperialism –Militarism –System of Alliances These four things combined made Europe ready for an all out war

Nationalism Definition: A deep devotion/love for one’s nation Caused intense competition between nations to be better than one another Competed for territory & industrial dominance

Imperialism Definition: Desire for the creation of overseas empires in Africa and Asia Europeans wanted the same territories and almost went to war for some This competition increased their distrust of one another

Militarism Definition: Policy of glorifying military power & keeping an army prepared for war Led to fear of one another and the development of larger armies & more weapons World War I will be the first modern war because of the weapons used ex: Poison Gas, Machine Guns, Airplanes

System of Alliances Definition: An agreement between two or more nations to defend one another against an enemy Fear of other nations being stronger led to alliances – countries wanted someone to have their back Two major alliances will form in Europe Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Italy Triple Entente: Great Britain, France, & Russia