THE CAUSES OF
WORLD WAR I
DR. DON SCHWARTZ
UCI OLLI
JANUARY 6, 2015
NATIONALISM
NATIONALISM
• "German: a good fellow, maybe; but it is
better to hang him" -- Russian proverb
• "England is a Devil that will devour everything, a
vampire that will suck tribute from all the veins of
the earth, a monster snake encircling the whole
equator." -- My German Fatherland, by Pastor
Tolzien
• "the French truth is not the same as the
German truth“ – French proverb
THE AUSTRIAN EMPIRE
NATIONALISM
IMPERIALIST
RIVALRIES
RIVALRY OVER MOROCCO
NATIONALISM
IMPERIALIST
RIVALRIES
MILITARISM
NATIONALISM
IMPERIALIST
RIVALRIES
MILITARISM
RIVAL
ALLIANCES
THE BALKANS
THE BALKANS
• “The Balkans
aren't worth the
life of a single
Pomeranian
grenadier”
• “If there is ever
another war in
Europe, it will
come out of some
damned foolish
thing in the
Balkans.”
• -- Bismarck
THE STRAITS AND DARDANELLES
WHY WERE THE BALKANS ‘A
POWDER KEG’?
• ‘Balkanization’
• Rising nationalism
• Ambition for ‘Greater Kingdom of
Serbia’
• Desire to prevent Slavs in AustriaHungary from joining Serbia
• Russian ambitions in Balkans
conflicted with Austria-Hungary’s
policies
BOSNIAN CRISIS 1908
SIGNIFICANCE OF BOSNIAN CRISIS
• Russia felt humiliated
• Serbia drew closer to Russia
• Increased Serbian opposition to AustriaHungary
• Austria-Hungary was determined to suppress
Serbia
• Germany will to support Austria-Hungary
INTERNATIONAL RIVALRIES BY 1914
•
•
•
•
SERBIA vs AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
RUSSIA vs AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
FRANCE vs GERMANY
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY vs SERBIA
OTHER ISSUES BY 1914
• Honor
• Masculinity and Virility
• Growing militarism
• Decision-making
• The cult of the offensive
ENCIRCLEMENT OF GERMANY
ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND
THE ASSASSINATION
AUSTRIAN CARTOON: “SERBIA MUST DIE”
IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF WAR
• June 28 assassination of Franz Ferdinand
• July 5 – Germany issues ‘blank check’
• July 23 – Austrian ultimatum to Serbia
–
–
–
–
Suppress propaganda against Austria-Hungary
Dissolve the ‘Black Hand’
Eliminate anti-Austrian teaching in schools
“accept the collaboration in Serbia of representatives
of the Austro-Hungarian Government for the
suppression of the subversive movement”
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
July 25 – Serbia accepts all but point 4 of the ultimatum;
July 28 – Austria declares war on Serbia
July 29 – Russia orders partial mobilization
July 30 – Austria attacks Serbia, Nicholas II orders general Russian
mobilization
July 31 - Germany asks France to declare its intentions
Aug. 1 - France orders mobilization; Germany declares war on Russia
Aug. 3 – Italy declares neutrality; Germany declares war on France
Aug. 4 – Germany invades Belgium; Britain declares war on Germany
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
• August 1 - Germany declares war on
Russia; France orders mobilization
• August 3 – Germany declares war on
France and invades Belgium
• August 4 – Britain declares war on
Germany