1. WORLD WAR I
THE ROAD TO WAR

2. The Road to War: Four M.A.I.N. Causes
Militarism
Massive build up of arms leads to an arms race
New weapons and large standing armies to display their might
Great Britain vs. Germany in a naval race
Traditional British policy is to have their fleet, which is vital to guarding their shipping lanes, to be larger than the combined fleets of any two rival nations
Wilhelm II initiates a large build up of Germany’s navy
War as a unifying force

3. Alliances Divides Europe into rival camps
Triple Alliance and Triple Entente
Turns a conflict between two nations into a global war

4. Imperialism Rush for colonies leads to rivalries
Clashes over territory and competition for resources and markets
Germany comes late to the game and wants colonies, even going so far as trying to take Morocco from France
Rest of Europe, particularly Britain, supports France and makes Germany back down

5. Nationalism
Pride in one’s country – each nation thinks they are the best
Best and largest armies, most colonies
Want to prove they are the best through war
Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary fails to appease separatist movements
Serbia wants Bosnia to be independent and is angry with Austria-Hungary
France is still angry over the Franco-Prussian War
They want revenge and Alsace-Lorraine back

7. The immediate cause: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is visiting Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia) with his pregnant wife Sophia
June 28, 1914 – a bomb is thrown in the Archduke’s car, but the attempt fails
The car speeds away and makes a wrong turn, which allows Gavrilo Princip to shoot and kill both the Archduke and his wife
Princip was a member of the Black Hand, a secret Serb nationalist group
Princip is arrested and identified as a Serb

9. War Begins
Austria is furious and wants to attack Serbia, but fears Russia will interfere on Serbia’s behalf
Turns to ally Germany, who issues a “blank check”, stating that Austria can rely on German support no matter what
Austria issues an ultimatum to Serbia on July 25
Ultimatum = a list of demands
Some of the demands are humiliating and outrageous, so Serbia rejects some of the demands
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia on July 28

10. The same day Czar Nicholas II orders the mobilization of the Russian army against Austria-Hungary
Mobilization = process of assembling troops and supplies and making them ready for war
In 1914 mobilization is considered an act of war
Some of the mobilization took place along the German border and Germany declares war on Russia on August 1st
due to its war plan, Germany then declares war on France on August 3rd
Plan calls for invading France by going through neutral Belgium
Issues an ultimatum to Belgium demanding the right for German troops to pass through Belgian territory

11. On August 4th Germany invades Belgium and Great Britain declares war on Germany for violating Belgian neutrality
Now most European powers are involved
Will be a war of attrition = wearing down of the enemy’s resources and morale
World War I, or the Great War, has begun
Germany and Austria-Hungary become known as the Central Powers
France, Great Britain, Russia, Belgium, and Serbia become the Allied Powers

13. The Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan is the German war plan based on a two front war against France and Russia
The Schlieffen Plan:
Send 90% of army against France
Send 10% of army against Russia
Need a quick victory against France so they can turn entire army against slower mobilizing Russia
Why Implemented:
Thought Russia would take a long time to mobilize
France had built fortresses along the French-German border – must go through Belgium
Need a quick win – speed is essential

14. Why fails:
Belgium resists and Great Britain enters the war
Russia mobilizes faster than expected and invades eastern Germany
Germany has to move troops from France to protect the German border against Russia
French victory at the Battle of the Marne
Plan 17 – the military plan of France
Straight drive from Paris to Berlin

15. Early Battles
At the start of the war, a series of clashes between German troops against French and British was known as the Battle of the Frontiers
Resulted in German victories
The Schlieffen Plan calls for German troops to sweep around Paris and surround most of the French army
Almost succeed: are 30 miles from Paris by Sept. 1st
First Battle of the Marne
German army makes some mistakes, officer makes a wrong turn
Ends in a German defeat and the Allies push Germany back

16. Leads to a stalemate and both sides dig trenches for protection and shelter

18. Order of Entry in World War I
First nation in the war after its heir was assassinated:
This nation was the second one in the war after members of a terrorist group assassinated the heir to the first nation:
AS a result of the above, this third nation entered the war to protect the second nation:
Because the third nation mobilized near its borders, this fourth nation entered the war:
Due to its plan of attack consisting of a two front war, the fourth nation declared war on this fifth nation:
This sixth nation was invaded to get to the fifth nation:
The invasion of the sixth nation brought this seventh nation into the war: