1. WORLD WAR I
The Great War

2. Indirect Causes
Nationalism – each European nation believed they were the best
Imperialism – needed more resources to fuel industries; also land grab in some places
Militarism – regular standing armies; new technologies (ie: Dreadnought Battleship)
Alliance System – alliances meant that if one country went to war, then all of them had to as well.

3. The Alliances
Triple Entente
Triple Alliance

4. Direct Cause “The shot that was heard around the world”
Spark that began WWI: assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia
28 June 1914
Heir to the Austrio-Hungarian throne
Ferdinand and wife, Sophia, shortly before they were shot.

5. The Assassin 19-year-old Gavrillo Princip
Member of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society
These Serbian nationalists wanted control of Bosnia
Austrio-Hungarian government used this incident as an excuse to invade Serbia

6. How they got involved…
1) Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrio-Hungarian throne, was shot in Sarajevo, Bosnia, 28 June 1914

7. 2) Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, 28 July

8. 3) Russia, Serbia’s traditional ally, declares war on Austria-Hungary, 30 July

9. 4) Germany declares war on Russia, Aug 1

10. 5) France immediately at war with Germany due to alliance with Russia

11. 6) In an attempt to use the Schlieffen Plan, Germany invades neutral Belgium to attack France
Original plan of attack, 1905
Actual attack, 1914

12. 7) Great Britain declares war on Germany when Belgium invaded, 4 August
Europe is at war

13. Canadian Prime Minister in 1914
Canada Enters the War
Sir Robert Borden
Canadian Prime Minister in 1914

14. Foreign Policy
Canada bound by British foreign policy as a dominion of Britain
So, Canada was automatically at war when Britain joined the war

15. Canadian Troops Canada had only 3000 men in military before WWI
100,000 volunteers initially
2/3 of first wave were British
About 35,000 French Canadians served

16. Who are these Canadians?
Canadians soldiers were viewed as inexperienced
Mostly farmhands
Lead by British leaders in British battalions to give more legitimacy
But little did they know…