Big Idea
• History is complex! There is rarely a simple, single explanation
for any event.
Big Questions
• How could WWI have been avoided?
• Of all the causes of WWI, which is mostly to blame?
• Take a long logical walk… How can we blame Louis XIV (14) for
WWI?
WWI:
Causes:
The “M.A.I.N. Bomb”
Was World War I always called
“World War I”?
• No! It was called “the Great War”. There was no need to
number “World Wars” back when there was only one of them.
During World War I, people called it “The Great War”.
Key Terms
• Militarism
• HMS Dreadnought
• Alliance System
• The Triple Alliance
• The Triple Entente
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
• Pan-Slavism
• Serbia
• Serbian Nationalism
• Archduke Franz
Ferdinand
• Gavrilo Princip
• Ultimatum
• Sarajevo
• The Balkans
4 Long Term Causes of WWI
• Militarism
• Alliance System
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
Militarism
• Militarism – Glorification of the military,
characterized by increased military spending and
increased involvement of the military in politics.
• Nationalism & Militarism were closely linked.
• Otto Von Bismarck  “Blood & Iron”
• Great nations wanted to grow their militaries
• People celebrated the military
• Europe experienced an “Arms Race”
• Countries compete to “out-gun” each other.
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
France
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
France
300
Germany
250
200
150
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
France
300
Germany
250
Italy
200
150
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
France
300
Germany
250
Italy
Russia
200
150
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
France
300
Germany
Italy
250
Russia
200
USA
150
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
500
450
400
Great Britain
350
France
300
Germany
Italy
250
Russia
200
USA
150
Japan
100
50
0
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
Military Spending in Europe
$1,900,000,000
$1,800,000,000
$1,779,000,000
$1,700,000,000
$1,600,000,000
$1,543,000,000
$1,500,000,000
$1,395,000,000
$1,400,000,000
$1,328,000,000
$1,300,000,000
$1,280,000,000
$1,200,000,000
$1,168,000,000
$1,100,000,000
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
What caused the Arms Race?
• The new German Empire was building a navy to rival Great Britain’s
• Great Britain responded by building a larger navy.
• Other countries saw this, and started building armies…
• Negative Feedback Loop!!!
• GB won the naval arms race with the HMS Dreadnought (1906)
• First modern battle ship  Fastest, Largest, Biggest Guns
• Revolutionized warships (Pre-Dreadnought / Post-Dreadnought)
Militarism
Glorification of the military, characterized by
increased military spending and increased
involvement of the military in politics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKofBhr9oFM
“M.A.I.N. Bomb”
• Our bomb now has one piece:
• Militarism
Alliance System
Alliance System:
Effects of German Unification
• By 1900, Germany was a major force
• Upsets the balance of power in Europe
• Germany makes a surprise Alliance with Austria-Hungary
(Hapsburg), to prevent an attack from France
• Otto Von Bismarck was careful to keep an alliance with Russia
to avoid a two front war with France
OVB’s Fear
Two Front War
OVB’s Fall
• After Kaiser William I’s death (1888), William II disagreed with
OVB’s careful foreign policies
• New Kaiser wanted to expand Germany’s “Place in the Sun”
• Tensions with Russia led to a dissolving of their alliance
• Russia then entered into an alliance with France
Alliance System before WWI
• Triple Alliance
• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Italy
• Triple Entente
• Britain
• France
• Russia
• A local conflict would quickly lead to a wider war
Complex Alliance System Emerged
“M.A.I.N. Bomb”
• Our bomb now has two pieces:
• Militarism
• Alliance System
• Throughout the 19th century, European nations set up
colonies or “Imperialist Governments” throughout the
world.
• Let’s see what you remember from last year…
• Who controlled India?
• At which Conference did the Europeans decide how to
divide up Africa?
• What wars and rebellions occurred in China due to
Imperialism?
• Soldiers from most of these colonies fought in World
War I. This made it a “WORLD” war.
Imperialism
The First “WORLD” War:
The Great War
Imperialism in the early 1900s
• New Nations of Italy and Germany wanted in on the party…
caused tensions with France and GB.
• Germany had many new colonies in Asia and Africa
• That’s why they were building a navy
• One could argue that Germany’s entry into the “Imperialism
Game” led to the Arms Race & Militarism.
• However, there was one other factor that contributed greatly to
militarism…
• Any guesses?
“M.A.I.N. Bomb”
• Our bomb now has three pieces:
• Militarism
• Alliance System
• Imperialism
• Nationalism was extremely strong in Germany
• Proud of their new country
• Proud of their industrial military
• Nationalism was also strong in France, and nearly
every corner of Europe
• Nationalism in Russia
• Pan-Slavism – Russia saw itself as the largest of the Slavic
states. Wanted all Slavic states to work together.
Nationalism
Slavic Countries
• National identity for
many people in the
Balkans (region)
• Most important for
WWI:
• Russia
• Bosnia
• Serbia
(Current world map, not 1914)
The Balkans
• Geographical and political region in
Southeastern Europe
Serbian Nationalism:
Trouble in the Balkans
• Bosnia was a Slavic Region
• People spoke a Slavic language, shared Slavic
culture, called themselves “Slavs”
• In 1908, Austria-Hungary officially annexed
Bosnia
• Slavic people outraged! (Nationalism)
• Bosnia was ruled by Austria-Hungary (not Slavic)
• Slavic Nationalism was strong!
• Especially, with the “Serbian People”.
• Serbia – Country located to the southeast of
Austria-Hungary
• How would Russia react to Austria-Hungary annexing
Bosnia?
• Tsar Nicholas II believe he was “like a father” of the
Slavic countries in the Balkans.
• The Balkans were referred to as a “problem area”
before the war
• Would eventually cause the first World War
Nationalism
“M.A.I.N. Bomb”
• Our bomb now has all four “MAIN” pieces:
•
•
•
•
Militarism
Alliance System
Imperialism
Nationalism
• What is needed to set off the bomb?
The Spark:
Assassination in Sarajevo, Bosnia
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand
(Austria-Hungary) was the heir
to the Hapsburg throne
• While visiting Sarajevo (Bosnia),
FF was assassinated by Gavrilo
Princip (Serbian Nationalist)
The Shot Heard (June 28, 1914)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip
Predict: What will happen next?
Austria-Hungary’s Reaction
• Issued an ultimatum to Serbia
• Ultimatum – a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection
of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations
• Serbia did not agree to all terms
• Alliance System begins to play out.
• Who does Russia defend?
• Who defends Austria-Hungary?
• What was OVB’s fear?
• How could Germany protect
themselves with a preemptive attack?
Review:
• What are the four “MAIN” Parts of
the bomb? (Four long-term causes
of World War I)
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
Review:
What was the spark?
Big Idea
• History is complex! There is rarely a simple, single explanation
for any event.
Big Questions
• How could WWI have been avoided?
• Of all the causes of WWI, which is mostly to blame?
• Take a long logical walk… How can we blame Louis XIV (14) for
WWI?