Cognitio Causes of WWI
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Canada at the outbreak of the war.
400000 Canadian soldiers participated in the war and 60000 did not come back
Canada was required by the British Commonwealth to enter the war automatically when Britain declared war
on Germany.
English Canadians were very supportive of the war as they felt a strong sense of loyalty to their home
country Britain, while the French Canadians did not particularly like the French, as they felt that they had left
Canada and abandoned it.
Canadian troops are viewed by the British as underdogs and they were looked down upon. (All the colonial
troops felt this way: Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans etc.)
Causes of WWI
M.A.I.N
Militarism: Militarism is the belief in the power of strong armies and navies to decide issues. It was thought
that the only way to guarantee peace was by preparing for war.(Don’t need to talk and negotiate with other
countries). Diplomacy is not needed.
How did it contribute to WW1: This kind of thinking lead to an arms race in Europe. Each country
tried to build a larger and more deadly war machines than its rivals. The size
of navies and armies determined who would be the most powerful nation in Europe.
Alliances: Alliances are formed when countries bond together against a common threat and pledge to
support each other in the war. (Triple entente and Central powers)
How did it contribute to the WW1: Increased fear and suspicion among rival nations and creating
lack of trust between nations. More countries are involved in the war because of the alliances and the
war therefore broke out at a larger scale.
The triple Alliance(The central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
The triple Entente(The Allies): France, Russia, Britain.
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Imperialism: Imperialism is creating colonies away from home country and building huge empires. ( Empireexpansion) How did it contribute to WW1: Competition for colonies lead to frequent clashes among
major powers of Europe around the world.
Nationalism/Patriotism: Nationalism is a feeling of deep loyalty to one’s people and homeland. Patriotic
(Extreme Patriotism)
How did it contribute to WW1: In the early twentieth century, Extreme nationalism were causing
problems in Europe. Some people seemed willing to take any actions to support their country
regardless of the effect on others.
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On Sunday, 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated while visiting Sarajevo, the capital of
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Annexed since 1908 by Austria-Hungary, nationalism in an essentially
slavic Balkan peninsula is boiling.
Bosnian Serbs are determined to free Bosnia from Austria-Hungary. They formed a terrorist and separatist
organization called the Black Hand. They assassinated archduke Ferdinand during his visit to Bosnia and triggered
the effects leading to WW1.The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was considered the event that triggered WWI.
On 23 July 1914, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia asking them to accept most of their demands.
However, as not every demand was accepted, the Empire decided to declare war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. 4 days
later, Germany declared war on Russia, Serbia’s ally, who had mobilised its troops in order to defend it. On 2
August, Germany asked Belgium to pass through its neutral territory in order to reach France. The next day,
following the refusal of King Albert I to do this, Germany invaded Belgium and declared war on France. On 4 August,
Great Britain, allied with France and guaranteeing Belgian neutrality, declared war on Germany.
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This was the beginning of the Great War. The war was meant to be short but ended after over four long years of
pain.
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was created by German General Count Alfred von Schlieffen in December 1905. The Schlieffen
Plan was the operational plan for a designated attack on France once Russia, in response to international tension,
had started to mobilise her forces near the German border. The execution of the Schlieffen Plan led to Britain
declaring war on Germany on August 4th, 1914, due to the invasion on the neutrality of Belgium. The Schlieffen Plan
planned to attack France through Belgium and hit Paris from behind, avoiding the heavily fortified barriers along the
French-German border. As the plan was made by Germany in 1905– 9 years before the war, it demonstrates
German ambitions and aggressions towards war. (though the clauses of M.A.I.N)
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