1. The Great War: The War to End All Wars
Causes of
World War I

2. Causes of World War I World War 1 was also known as:
The War to End All Wars
The First Modern War
The Imperialist War
The Trench War
The Great War

3. Europe during the war Europe before the war The Allied Powers
The Eastern Front
The Western Front
WW1 is a two-front war because Germany has to fight the Allies on both sides
The Central Powers

4. Russia turns Communist (USSR)
Europe before the war
Europe after the war
New countries!
Divided empires!
New countries!
New countries!
New countries!
New countries!
Divided empires!
New countries!
Russia turns Communist (USSR)

5. Imperialism & Rivalries Nationalism
What Caused World War 1?
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism & Rivalries
Nationalism

6. Militarism
Europeans believed their national power was determined by their military strength (militarism):
The Industrial Revolution led to large, advanced armies & navies with new industrial weapons
Because European countries tried to keep up with each other, an arms race began; This made it difficult to settle minor problems by talking things out

7. Who had the biggest armies?
Russia- 1.3 million man army
France – 900,000 man army
Germany – 900,000 man army
Britain/Italy/Austria-Hungry – 250,000 to 500,000
Britain (England) had the best navy, but they were worried because Germany had started building up their navy.

8. The European Arms Race: England & Germany competed to create the largest navies in Europe

9. Alliances
Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Italy made up the Triple Alliance
England, France, & Russia made up the Triple Entente
No nation wanted to fight in a war by itself so nations formed alliances:
These alliances did not make Europe more secure, they made it more tense

10. Causes of WWI By 1914, Europe was in a bad position:
Powerful European nations had large armies & navies
Militarism supported the idea that war can be good & can bring glory to nation & its people (Nationalism)
Nations were tied together by alliances, so if one country went to war, the others had to go too

11. Imperialism & Rivalries
In 1898, England & France argued over rights to the Sudan in Africa (the Fashoda Incident)
In 1899, Germany, England, & Russia argued over rights to build a railroad in India
The Industrial Revolution led to hostile competition as imperialists fought over the same colonies
In 1905, 1908, & 1911, Germany & France almost went to war over Morocco

12. Nationalism
France wanted revenge against Germany for its loss during the Franco-Prussian War in 1871
Nationalism created feelings of great pride & united the citizens of a country & led some countries to want revenge for previous wars
German “Hymn of Hate” song:
Hate by water & hate by land;
Hate of the heart & hate of the hand;
We love as one; We hate as one;
We have but one foe alone: England

13. The Slavic peoples wanted to unite & form a Slavic nation (Yugoslavia) but Austria-Hungary did not want this to happen
Nationalism also divided people; The most tense place in Europe by 1914 was the Balkans as Serbia, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, & Romania all broke from the Ottoman Empire to make new nations

14. Pan-Slavism in the Balkans, 1914
The Balkans became a “powder keg” waiting for a spark to blow up

15. The War Begins
On June 28, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated

16. The event that sparked WW1
Assassination
On June 28, 1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand (prince of Austria-Hungry) and his wife were in Sarajevo ,Serbia when they were assassinated.
They were assassinated by a Serbian terrorist
Austria- Hungry wanted to attack Serbia but was afraid of Serbia’s ally Russia
Austria- Hungry asked Germany (their ally) if they went to war with Serbia if Germany would back them up.
On July 28, 1914 Austria- Hungry declared war on Serbia =WW1 Started

17. The Assassin:
Gavrilo Princip

18. The War Begins
On July 23, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia:
Either allow Austria-Hungarian officials to investigate the assassination …OR…
Go to war
On July 28,1914 Serbia declined the ultimatum & Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

21. How was WW1 a “world” war?

22. How was WW1 a “world” war?

23. Essential Question What four factors led to World War I?
What alliances were formed?
What role did nationalism play in causing WWI?
What is militarism?