1. CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I

2. MILITARISM A nation’s policy to maintain strong armed forces Great Britain and Germany raced to have the largest navies. France, Russia, and Germany competed in building powerful armies.

3. ALLIANCES The formation of military agreements among nations. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance in 1882. Great Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente in 1907.

4. IMPERIALISM A nation’s attempt to gain control of weaker nations. European nations divided much of Africa into colonies in order to obtain raw material and sell goods European nations forced China to grant them trading rights

5. NATIONALISM Extreme loyalty to a nation and concern for its welfare. National groups in Austria- Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) wanted independence. European nations sought to regain lost territories and/or add land.

6. Assassination Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria- Hungary was assassinated and Serbia was blamed.