1. Road to World War One

2. Arms Race
Britain and Germany trying to military ‘out-might’ the other and ‘out-colonize’ the other
1906: Dreadnaught launched
Britain wanted Canada to help by funding the British navy

3. Militarism
The policy of building up military forces and weaponry and threatening armed aggression
Britain: “ruled the waves”
Germany: most powerful army in Europe
Needed to maintain “balance of power”

4. End of the Empire
Much of Eastern Europe was dominated by three weak and crumbling Empires:
Russia
Ottoman
Austria-Hungary

6. Russia
Czar Nicholas II
Russia on the verge of a revolution

7. Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Austria-Hungary
Emperor Franz Joseph
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Heir to the throne

8. Ottoman Empire - “Sick Man of Europe”

9. Germany Kaiser Wilhelm II
Before he died he wanted his “place in the sun”
"It is not by his will that he will unleash a war, but by his weakness."
King Edward VII writing about his nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II, in 1905.

10. Hegemony: having dominance over another country
Congress of Vienna (1815)
After the defeat of Napoleon, major powers worked together in alliance systems to prevent another nation’s hegemony
Hegemony: having dominance over another country

11. WWI Alliances
1914: the great powers of Europe were divided into two alliances
Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
Triple Entente: Great Britain, France, Russia
Formed because of German threat

12. Entente Cordiale
Series of mutual defense pacts signed between Britain, Russia and France
Germany knows she is condemned to a two front war

13. WWI Alliances

14. Balkan Nationalism
Struggle for control over Balkan peninsula after Turkey loses territories during Balkan wars ( )
A-H wants Serbia in her control

16. Balkan Nationalism
Russia was anxious to curb A-H’s power, so she supported Serbia
1908: A-H took advantage of Russia’s weakness (Russo-Japanese War ) and annexed Slav territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina (bordering on Serbia)

17. The spark that ignited “the war to end all wars”
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated while visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia on 28 June 1914 by the Black Hand (a Serbian nationalist secret society)

18. Assassination

19. Austria-Hungary Reacts
A-H blames Serbia
A-H now has a legitimate reason to take Serbia
However, Russia was obligated to defend Serbia
One thing leads to another…

20. Chain Reaction A-H blames declares war on Serbia
Russia defends Serbia, declares war on A-H
Germany declares war on Russia
France declares war on Germany, then Germany invades France & Belgium
Britain declares war on Germany because of treaty with Belgium
Colonies support Britain (including Canada)
United States declares neutrality

21. The Irony of Alliances

22. To summarize: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfxrTD-kPps