1. The Road to World War I

2. *M.A.N.I.A.C.S.S started WWI Militarism Alliances Nationalism
Imperialism
Assassination
Conflicts
Series of Family Rivalries
Series of Diplomatic Failures

3. MM. Militarism – glorification of war and the military
Competition for military power and strength
Arms race – competition to build up armed forces and weapons
Standing armies – soldiers trained and ready to fight
Conscription – mandatory participation of civilians in the military
Increase in military spending
Increasing influence of military in the government
Example: Germany expanded its navy, Britain soon followed with a bigger and better navy

4. Long Term Causes vs. “Triggers”
Militarism/Arms Race: development of modern weapons technology combined with nationalism and imperial conquest leads to massive build-up of military forces in Germany, France, Great Britain.

5. A. Alliance System:
Dueling alliances between groups of nations increase tensions and speed arms race.
Three Emperors’ League (1873)  Ger, A-H, Rus.
Dual Alliance (1879)  Ger. & A-H
*Triple Alliance (1882) Ger, A-H, It.
Reinsurance Treaty (1887)  restore relations between Ger. & Rus.
Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)
British-Japanese Alliance (1902)
The Entente Cordiale (1904)  Br. & Fr.
The Anglo-Russian Convention (1907)  Persia
*Triple Entente (1907)  Br, Fr, Rus

6. A. Alliances – Partnership agreement to go to war in the event one country in the partnership is attacked. Aim was to discourage other countries from attacking members of the alliance. The alignments by 1914 were:
Triple Alliance
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
Triple Entente
Russia
France
Great Britain

7. N. Nationalism –
Extreme love and devotion for one’s country
determination of European nations to show power and strength
Freedom from foreign rule
France wants Germany to return Alsace and Lorraine lost in Franco-Prussian war
People of the same nationality wanted to form their own nation-state
Pan-Slavism – Slavs had a long-term goal to develop their culture and unite into an empire
Serbian nationals wanting to unite Bosnia with Serbia
Russia – protector of the Slavs

8. Long Term Causes vs. “Triggers” N. Nationalist Grudges:
Slavs in the northern Balkan Peninsula resented Austrian rule/domination replacing that of the Ottomans
France wanted revenge for losing Alsace & Lorraine and war reparations to Germany in 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War.

9. I. Imperialism – One country’s domination of the economic, political and social life of another country
Competition for colonies – countries had some and wanted more (Germany & Japan), others had none and wanted some (Italy)
Economic growth – countries wanted to new markets to sell products & acquire raw materials
Power and prestige of expanding global empires

10. Long Term Causes vs. “Triggers”
World War I occurs as a result of building tensions between rival European nations.
I. Imperialism: Competition for territories around the globe pressures nations to acquire colonies in close proximity to those of other European nations in Africa & Asia.

11. A. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Spark – immediate trigger that creates a chain of diplomatic failures setting WWI in motion
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria assassinated in Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia/Herzegovina)
Heir to the Austrian throne on an inspection tour in B-H (territory annexed by Austria, containing many Serbian-Slavs)
Black Hand – secret Serbian nationalists group with ties to the Serbian government
Gavrilo Princip - member of the black hand assassinates Franz Ferdinand and his wife

12. Long Term Causes vs. “Triggers”
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Bosnia
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Archduchess Sophia & their children
28 July, 1914:
The Archduke & Archduchess on the steps of Sarajevo City Hall minutes before the assassination.
Franz Ferdinand & Sophia lying in state

13. C. Conflict in the Balkan Peninsula
Large number of different religions, nationalities, Ethnic Groups
Russia and A-H each wanted to colonize the Balkan Peninsula
Called the “Europe’s powder keg” – waiting for an event that would start a major war

14. C. Conflicts & Crises: 1873-1914 (cont.)
First Moroccan Crisis (1905)
Russo-Japanese War (1905)
The Bosnian Crisis of 1908
Second Moroccan Crisis (1911)
The First Balkan War (1912)
The Second Balkan War (1913)

15. Long Term Causes vs. “Triggers”
S. Series of Family Rivalries: Three of the rulers of Europe were grandsons of Queen Victoria. Wilhelm resented Great Britain’s naval dominance and was dismissive of Russia’s massive army.
Kaiser Wilhelm II - Germany
Czar Nicholas II - Russia
King George V – Great Britain

16. S. Series of diplomatic failures following the assassination resulting in war
Domino effect - chain or series of diplomatic failures resulting in war
U. Ultimatum from A-H to Serbia fails. A-H declares war on Serbia
R. Russia, Protector of the Slavs, and France mobilize against Germany,
G. Germany declares war on France using the Schlieffen plan, going through neutral Belgium
E. England, declares war on Germany for attacking
neutral Belgium based on expectations of the
1839 Treaty

17. Colonial Rivalries: Africa in 1914

18. Colonial Rivalries: Asia in 1914

19. The British Empire in 1914

20. The Balkans in 1878

21. The Balkan Wars:

22. Europe in 1914

23. The Balkans in 1914