1. The Great War
World War I

2. World War I Fought largely in Europe 1914-1918
Allies (France, England, America, Russia)
Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey)

3. 4 MAIN Causes
Militarism: rivalries led nations to build up their military arsenals and plan strategies of offensive and defensive war.
Britain and Germany took the lead
Schlieffen plan
Alfred von Schlieffen

4. Militarism continued France: Plan 17
The French believed that if they drove straight into Germany through Alsace and Lorraine, using the fighting spirit "elan" of their soldiers and not relying on technology, they would quickly defeat the Germans.

5. Alliance System
Mutual hostilities, jealousies, fears, economic rivalries led to defense alliances formed in Europe.
Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
1882: to prevent Italy
From taking sides
With Russia

6. Alliance system cont’d
Triple Entente: England, France, Russia
Several agreements from to counter the German threat
No separate peace
Italy joined in 1915

7. Imperialism
The quest for colonies and overseas resources/markets increased European rivalries

8. Example: Moroccan Crisis, 1905-6
Germany attempted to use the issue of Morocco's independence to increase frictions between France and the United Kingdom, as well as to advance German commercial interests in Morocco.

9. Moroccan Crisis, continued
The crisis worsened German relations with both France and the United Kingdom, and helped ensure the success of the new Anglo-French Entente.

10. Nationalism Feelings of ethnic pride and unity
The desire for self-determination & freedom
Self determination is the principle in international law, that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference.

11. Nationalism: Examples
Poles divided in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia (by 1795 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had ended.) Nevertheless, hopes for restoration of Polish independence were kept alive throughout the 19th century by events within and without the Polish lands.

12. Nationalism: Examples
Slavic people of central and eastern Europe sought independence from foreign control.
Russia wanted to be the leader of the Slavic people in Europe (including Serbs).
Serbia was an independent nation but millions of Serbs were in A-H empire.

13. Nationalism: Examples
Not all Frenchmen were located in France
French lost Alsace-Lorraine to Germany in 1871

14. Immediate cause of WWI
On June28, 1914 in Sarajevo (the capital of A-H’s province of Bosnia) people gathered to see the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand, shot and killed Ferdinand and his wife.

15. Summer of 1914
Austria issued an ultimatum to Serbia; Serbia only partially agreed.
Austria declared war on Serbia.

16. The Guns of August Germany pledged to support Austria
Russia mobilized to help Serbia
Germany declared war on Russia
France allied with Russia
Germany declared war on France
Germany invaded Belgium
Britain declared war on Germany

17. No easy victory The invasion of Belgium Four long years Millions dead
Billions of dollars in damages

18. Stalemate on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front

19. Manfred von Richthofen
New Weapons of War
Manfred von Richthofen

20. The American Doughboy