1. CH. 16

2. Sec 1

3.  Beginning of 1900s ◦ Peace and harmony in Europe ◦ Darker side  Developments would propel Europe into War

4.  Unifying force  Cause intense competition between nations ◦ Seek to overpower each other  Rivalries develop ◦ Great Powers  Germany, Austria-Hungary, GB, Russia, Italy, France

5.  Causes of rivalries ◦ Competition for materials and markets ◦ Territorial disputes ◦ Ethnic groups demand independence

6.  Europeans compete over Africa and Asia  Quest for colonies pushed nations to brink of war  Competition leads to sense of rivalry and mistrust

7.  Arms race developed in Europe ◦ To be great, countries need to have powerful army ◦ 1914 – all Great Powers, except GB have large standing army ◦ Experts stress importance of quick mobilization  Ability to get troops ready for war

8.  Militarism ◦ Policy of glorifying military power ◦ Keeping army prepared for war ◦ Large and strong army made citizens feel patriotic  Frightens some

9.  Rivalries and mistrust led to creation of alliances ◦ Great Powers form military alliances  Alliance system designed to keep peace develops ◦ Helped cause a war

10.  Bismarck Forges Early Pacts ◦ Saw France as biggest threat  Thought they wanted revenge for losing Franco-Prussian War  Goal was to isolate France

12.  1879 – Dual Alliance ◦ Germany and Austria Hungary  Triple Alliance - 1882 ◦ Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy  1881 – treaty w/ Russia

13.  1890 – Kaiser Wilhelm II forces Bismarck to resign ◦ Didn’t want to share power ◦ Eager to show power of Germany

14.  Wilhelm does things differently ◦ Treaty w/Russia ends in 1890  Russia forms alliance w/France – 1892 and 1894 ◦ War w/France or Russia would make Germany enemy of both  Could be forced to fight two-front war

15.  Began massive shipbuilding program ◦ Make German navy equal to GB  Moves alarm GB ◦ 1904 – forms alliance w/France

16.  Triple Entente ◦ 1907 ◦ Russia, France, GB ◦ Did not bind GB to fight w/France and Russia ◦ Ensured GB would not fight against them

17.  Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance ◦ Conflict could draw entire continent into war

18.  “Powder Keg of Europe” ◦ Mountainous peninsula in southeastern Europe ◦ Home to assortment of ethnic groups  Long history of nationalist uprisings and ethnic conflict

19.  Ottoman Empire in rapid decline ◦ New nations formed  Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia ◦ Nationalism is powerful force  Groups want to grow in size

20.  Serbia ◦ Large Slavic population  Wanted to absorb all Slavs on Balkan peninsula ◦ Russia and Austria-Hungary in direct conflict  Russia – supports Slavic nationalism  Austria – threatened by growth

21.  1908 – Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina ◦ Large Slavic populations ◦ Outraged Serbian leaders  Serbs vow to take B&H from A-H  A-H vowed to crush Serbian effort

22.  June 28, 1914  Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand shot in Sarajevo, Bosnia ◦ Gavrilo Princip  19 yr old member of the Black Hand ◦ Black Hand – secret society committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrians

23.  Austria angered ◦ Use murders as excuse to punish Serbia ◦ July 23 - Presented ultimatum to Serbia  End to anti-Austrian activity  Investigation of assassination  Serbian leaders agree to most of demands  Offered to have international conference settle others

24.  Austria unwilling to negotiate  July 28 ◦ Austria rejected Serbia’s offer ◦ Declares war on Serbia ◦ Russia mobilizes troops toward Austrian border ◦ Leaders of Europe alarmed  Urge Russia and Austria to negotiate