1. Causes of World War I

2. PDN Enduring Understanding:
World War I was caused by Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism
Essential Questions:
Why did the European nations form opposing alliances?
How did imperialism heighten tensions in Europe?

3. Objectives
Describe how imperialism, nationalism, and militarism pushed Europe closer to war
Trace how the alliance system drew nations into the war

4. Militarism massive military buildup
to protect overseas colonies & IMPERIALISTIC powers
Did they want to protect the people in the colonies or their own interests?
size of armed forces & navies grew sharply
especially in Germany
Why Germany? Germany had practically no overseas land to protect.

5. Militarism
countries with militaries were ready to use them as soon as any trouble erupted
“Trigger-happy” is when ready to fire at the least provocation, regardless of situation or consequences.

6. Alliances
countries allied to protect themselves against MILITARISM from other countries
Triple Alliance united Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente united Russia & France (which had already allied) with Great Britain

7. Alliances
alliances should keep war from starting because no country should want to start war with a different country and its allies as well
alliance & entente are basically the same thing
entente can mean more of a cooperation than an alliance

8. Imperialism
definition: “the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies.” (dictionary.com)
Germany, France, Russia, & Great Britain = IMPERIAL nations

9. Imperialism
to keep imperial lands safe from conquest by other imperial countries, MILITARISM grew

10. Nationalism
definition: “strong devotion to one’s national group or culture.” (book)
began in late 1800s
Germany & Italy were new
fds
new countries & power struggles

11. Nationalism Balkan Peninsula
SE Europe (ex: Serbia)
areas w/ certain ethnic groups might want freedom from an empire or bigger country
Serbs had Serbia, but many lived outside borders  Serbia wanted to expand borders
Austria-Hungary wouldn’t let Serbia expand