Four MAIN Causes of World War I Four MAIN Causes of World War I

Militarism – building up of the military in expectation of a war The Naval Race Great Britain had been the leading naval power in Europe. Germany began building a navy to challenge the power of England. This worried Great Britain so they formed a relationship (no alliance) with France and Russia. They became known as the Triple Entente (early 1900s). The Arms Race France and Germany began an arms race (as one country increases its military supplies, another correspondingly steps up their military production) The standing armies of France and Germany doubled in size between 1870 and 1914.

AAAA llll llll iiii aaaa nnnn cccc eeee ssss – – – – – agreement to help protect other countries GGGGermany and Europe FFFFrance and Germany had been enemies WWWWhile the German empire was being unified, the Prussians attacked France and took territory (Alsace and Lorraine) RRRRussian leaders worried Germany would expand eastward TTTThey also worried Slavic nations in southern Europe would be invaded by Austria-Hungary TTTThe Triple Alliance GGGGermany IIIItaly AAAAustria-Hungary TTTThe Franco-Russian Alliance RRRRussia and France both needed to protect land TTTThey formed an alliance in 1894 RRRRussia is also allied with Serbia TTTTriple Entente GGGGreat Britain FFFFrance RRRRussia

Imperialism – the political and economic domination of a strong nation over a weaker one GGGGreat Britain, Germany and France competed for colonies in Africa. BBBBritain and France had resolved their differences in Africa GGGGermany threatened the British and French territory in North Africa.

NNNN aaaa tttt iiii oooo nnnn aaaa llll iiii ssss mmmm – – – – – feeling intense pride in one’s country or nationality NNNNationalism caused each nation to view the others as competitors and threats. SSSSelf-determination (the idea that people who belong to a nation should have their own country and government) was one idea causing tension in Europe. The Balkans TTTThe Austrio-Hungarian Empire and Ottoman Empire historically ruled the Balkans. Different national groups in the Balkan area began to press for independence. TTTThe Serbs were the first to become independent (Serbia). They made it their mission to unite the Yugoslavs (supported by the Russians). BBBBosnia was annexed by Austria-Hungary from the Ottoman Empire. This proved to the Serbs that Austria-Hungary had no intention of allowing the Slavic people to become independent. TTTThis leads to the “Trigger Event”

The “Trigger Event” of WWI  June 28, 1914 The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand visited the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The day of the assassination, June 28, is June 15 in the Julian calendar, the feast of St. Vitus. In Serbia, it is called Vidovdan and commemorates the 1389 Battle of Kosovo against the Ottomans at which the Sultan was assassinated in his tent by a Serb; it is an occasion for Serbian patriotic observances

As he and his wife, Sophia rode through the streets of Sarajevo in an open top car, several members of the “Black Hand” (a nationalist group) wait for them to pass. The first two did nothing. The third, Nedjelko Carbronovic, threw a bomb at their car. He missed the royal couple and seriously wounded several people in the following car. Union or Death

The driver of the car carrying the Archduke and his wife quickly took the couple to the town hall. There it was decided to take Ferdinand and Sophia back to the train station taking a different route. On their way back to the station, their driver took a wrong turn and had to back up. In doing so he moved slowly past a fourth member of the Black Hand, Gavrilo Princip. He moved forward, drew his gun, and at a distance of about five feet, fired several times into the car.

Franz Ferdinand was hit in the neck and Sophia in the abdomen. Princip's bullet had pierced the archduke's jugular vein but before losing consciousness, he pleaded "Sophie dear! Sophie dear! Don't die! Stay alive for our children!" The royal couple was driven to Konak, the governor's residence. Although both were still alive when they arrived, they died from their wounds soon afterwards.

Gavrilo Princip attempted to commit suicide but was stopped by a couple of police men. He was arrested and tried. Because he was under 20 years old, the maximum penalty he could receive was 20 years in prison. He died in prison 4 years later of tuberculosis.