The MAIN Causes of WWI
M – Militarism
World War I
Causes and Alliances
A – Alliances
I – Imperialism
N – Nationalism
Alliances
• Before the War
– Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
– Triple Entente: France, Great Britain, Russia
• During the War
– Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Italy (switches sides
in 1915)
– Allies: France, Great Britain, Russia, U.S.A.
(1917), and other nations
The Domino Theory
(Chain Reaction)
• Austria sends Serbia an “ultimatum”
– July 28, 1914 – Austria declares war on Serbia
Igniting Incident
• June 28, 1914 - The
assassination of Austria’s
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
and wife, Sophie, in
Sarajevo, Bosnia
• Responsible group –
Serbian nationalist and
member of “Black Hand,”
Gavrilo Princip
Schlieffen Plan
Germany’s plan depended on SPEED and avoiding fighting on two fronts.
1. Rush through Belgium & France to take
Paris (the Western Front)
• Russia mobilizes troops
– Aug. 1, 1914 – Germany declares war on Russia
– Aug. 3, 1914 – Germany declares war on France
• Germany wants to attack France by way of Belgium;
Belgium refuses
– Aug. 4, 1914 – Germany declares war on Belgium
– Aug. 4, 1914 – Great Britain declares war on Germany
– Aug. 6, 1914 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
(Austria-Hungary & Germany – vs. – Belgium, Great Britain,
France, Serbia and Russia)
2. Then use trains to transport extra soldiers
& supplies to the Eastern Front (German
& Russian border) to fight Russians
•
Plan failed – Germany must fight war on
two fronts
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WWI Technology
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Machine gun
Big Bertha
Poison Gas
Tanks
Flame throwers
Airplanes
U-boats
WWI German messenger dog.
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U.S. Enters War
• Germans employ UNRESTRICTED
SUBMARINE WARFARE
• SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA
• THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM
Lusitania
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