1. Causes of WWI

2. Europe Prior to war

3. Long-term causes of War
Nationalism
Imperialism
Militarism
Alliance System

4. Nationalism
The belief that national interests and national unity comes first and foreign policy should be guided by self interest.
Nationalism= competitiveness between countries

5. Imperialism
Extending political, economic or military authority over another country (weaker country)
Usually done to take advantage of resources a country has.
Imperial possessions sometimes led to war…. Two countries competing over territory

6. Militarism
Development of armed forces and their use as a tool of democracy.
Germany was the most militarized country in Europe. They even began competing with Great Britain’s powerful navy.
Other European nations realized Germany’s advancements and tried to keep up.

7. Alliance System Triple Entente- Later the Allies
Countries coming together as alliances with the intent to discourage war by making war undesirable.
Triple Entente- Later the Allies
France
Great Britain
Russia
Triple Alliance- Later the Central Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

8. Powder Keg
The Balkan peninsula became known as the “powder keg of Europe”
All that was needed was a spark to set it off, and that spark would come in 1914.

9. The Spark
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria- Hungary is assassinated by a Serbian teenager.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire wanted to make Serbia pay but due to the Alliance system, country after country were dragged into the fighting.