July 1914 - November 1918
1) Imperialism: Tensions exist and arise





Britain’s Industrial Revolution makes it an economic
superpower
 By the early 1900’s Germany catches up and
surpasses Britain due to its newer infrastructure
Germany also feels that Britain is denying Germany
their position in world Imperialism (Germany’s “place in
the sun”)
Germany to increase its navy
 Makes an alliance between the two difficult
This made access to Germany’s African claims difficult
France and Germany clash over parts of Africa
Europe
1914

French are embittered by the loss of the
Alsace and Lorraine regions to Germany in
the Franco-Prussian war 1870
German’s referred to
this area as “German
France”
2) Nationalism
Austria-Hungary is afraid of
Balkan nationalism that may
split the Austro-Hungarian
Empire along the Danube
Problems???
• Nations in the Balkans are
becoming increasingly
nationalistic and want their
own nation state
• Bosnians want
independence but were part
of Austria-Hungary
3) Militarism

Britain had a “two power standard”
 Their navy had to be equal or better than any
two other nation’s navies

Germany starts an arms race (naval) with
Britain
SMS Helgoland
HMS Dreadnought
4) Alliances: Treaty commitments
binds states against other states
 ”Dual Alliance” (1879) of Germany
under Otto Von Bismarck and Austria
(known as Anschluss – the uniting of
Austrians and Germans in history)

 Germany’s plan to isolate France in the
case of revenge over the losses in 1870



Russian treaty with Germany (Three
Emperors League 1873, Reinsurance
Treaty 1887)
Italy and Germany (Triple Alliance
1882)
Bismarck assumed that Britain would
not ally itself with France because
they were Imperialistic rivals
Otto Von
Bismark
Ca.1969

Under Kaiser Wilhelm II, Russia is allowed to
drop out of the Reinsurance Treaty with
Germany – Germany’s idea, not Russia’s
 Russia was concerned that the failure to resign the
treaty would ally Germany and Austria further and
making a treaty with the French would give them
confidence to begin a war
 Germany stated that the Reinsurance Treaty
conflicted with the treaties they had with other states

Russia joins in a Triple Entente with France and
Britain for protection
 “Entente” was an “understanding” of military
cooperation and imperialistic competition
Immediate Events that Caused WWI
1)
1905-1911 Moroccan Crises where Germany
attempted to block France’s effort to establish
sovereignty over Morocco
Immediate Events that Caused WWI
2) Austria had taken
over Bosnia 1908.
○
○
Serbia wanted
Bosnia and was
backed by
Russia.
Serbia was
pressured to
back down by
Germany.
Immediate Events that Caused WWI
3) Balkan Wars 19121913
•
Serbia, Greece, and
Bulgaria fight the
Ottomans (Turkey)
•
Ottomans lose
territories in the
Balkans
•
Serbia is growing
more powerful
4) Terrorist group (Black Hand) wanting an
independent Bosnia and supported
Serbia, assassinates (by Gavrilo Princip)
the Austrian heir to the throne, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand in late June 1914 on his
visit to Sarajevo.
This causes a chain of events that brings
many states into war:
i) With the assurance of German
support, Austria issues an ultimatum to
Serbia to punish those involved in the
assassination and suppress nationalism.
ii) Serbia does not accept the part to
allow an Austrian inquiry
iii) July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary
declares war on Serbia. Russians
mobilize to support Serbia.
iv) France is eager to enter the war to regain Alsace and
Lorraine
v) Germany orders Russia and France to stop mobilizing
vi) Germany makes good on its word to Austria and war is
declared by Germany on Serbia-Russia and France on
August 1, 1914.
vii) Germany decides to strike France through Belgium
viii) Britain is against the attack on neutral Belgium and
enters the war.
ix) Italy enters the war on the side of the Triple Entente in
order to protect its naval routes from the Germans and to
protect its war loans and military sales to the Allies (Triple
Entente)
Assignment:
Create a mind map of the causes of
WWI with illustrations
 Read pp21-24 Counterpoints

Archduke
Franz
Ferdinand is
Assassinated
Alliances
Militarism
Causes
of WWI
Contextual
Causes
Immediate
Causes
Nationalism
Read “The Great War, 1914-1918”
Answer the following questions in detail:
1)
What is the “Schlieffen Plan” and how did it affect the players in
WWI?
2)
What could be argued as the German’s mistake at the Battle of
the Marne?
3)
Explain the situation that coined the popular phrase “They shall
not pass”.
4)
Describe the conditions of trench warfare?
5)
Why was trench warfare new?
6)
Briefly describe the new technologies utilized in WWI. (What were
they? How were they used?)
7)
What is meant by “total war”?
8)
How did total war affect women?
9)
What major changes occurred in 1917 and what were the reasons
for it?
10)
What was promised in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
11)
Why do you think the war ended?
12)
How did Imperialism affect The Great War? How did Nationalism
affect The Great War?
Imperialism
“the policy of extending the rule or
authority of an empire or nation over
foreign countries, or of acquiring and
holding colonies and dependencies.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Nationalism
1.national spirit or aspirations.
2.devotion and loyalty to one's own
nation; patriotism.
3.excessive patriotism; chauvinism.
4.the desire for national advancement or
independence.
5.the policy or doctrine of asserting the
interests of one's own nation, viewed as
separate from the interests of other
nations or the common interests of all
nations.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Militarism
Definition:
 National policy of strengthening the military
 War as a method to pursue interests and
solve problems
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.