Causes and Context of World War I

Seventy vocabulary cards summarizing the major people, ideas, events, and rivalries that set the stage for World War I.

Heinrich von Treitschke

German historian who glorified war and preached the racial superiority of the Teutonic people.

Doctrine of Teutonic Superiority

Belief promoted in pre-war Germany that Germanic peoples were inherently superior to other nations.

Anglo-Saxon Superiority Theory

British idea, voiced by writers like Homer Lea, that the Anglo-Saxon race was destined to dominate world affairs.

Insurgent Nationalism

Explosive 19th-century nationalism that challenged empires and helped spark World War I, especially in the Balkans.

Pan-Germanism

Movement calling for the political unification and expansion of all German-speaking peoples.

Pan-Slavism

Russian-backed movement seeking unity and independence for Slavic peoples under foreign rule.

Balkan Powder Keg

Nickname for the Balkans, where overlapping nationalisms made war likely before 1914.

Austro-Serbian Rivalry

Competition between Austria-Hungary and Serbia for influence over South-Slav territories.

Serbo-Bulgarian Rivalry

Conflict between Serbia and Bulgaria for territorial and political dominance in the Balkans.

Austro-Russian Rivalry

Struggle between Austria-Hungary and Russia for control of the Balkan Peninsula.

Alsace-Lorraine Issue

French determination to recover the provinces lost to Germany in 1871, fostering revenge sentiment.

Franco-German War of 1870

Conflict whose French defeat and territorial losses sowed long-term hostility toward Germany.

Economic Rivalry

Competition among industrial powers, notably Britain and Germany, for world markets and resources.

Neo-Imperialism

Late-19th-century scramble for colonies driven by economic and strategic motives.

South American Market Competition

Struggle between Britain and Germany for trade dominance in Latin America before 1914.

J. A. Hobson

British economist who linked imperialism to surplus capital seeking overseas investment.

"Imperialism: A Study"

Hobson’s 1902 book arguing that capitalists push governments to acquire colonies for profit.

Hobson’s Surplus Capital Theory

Idea that excess domestic profits drive capitalists to demand colonial expansion.

V. I. Lenin

Russian revolutionary who adapted Marxist theory to claim imperialism was the final stage of capitalism.

"Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism"

Lenin’s 1916 work explaining imperialism as inevitable under monopoly capitalism.

Surplus Goods Problem

Overproduction in industrial nations that led them to seek new colonial markets.

Colonial Rivalry

Tense competition among European powers for African and Asian territories.

Manchester Chamber of Commerce

British trade body that lobbied for colonial policies favoring Lancashire textile interests.

Leninist View of War

Interpretation that capitalist rivalries over colonies make large-scale wars unavoidable.

David Thompson’s Critique

Historian’s argument that most colonial disputes were settled by 1907, so other factors caused the war.

Moroccan Question

Series of crises over French control of Morocco opposed by Germany.

Gunboat Panther

German warship sent to Agadir in 1911 to challenge French influence in Morocco.

Agadir Crisis (1911)

Confrontation in which Germany’s show of force in Morocco heightened Anglo-French solidarity.

"A place in the sun"

Kaiser Wilhelm II’s phrase expressing Germany’s desire for colonial and global status equal to Britain and France.

Triple Alliance

1882 military pact of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Triple Entente

Loose 1907 coalition of Britain, France, and Russia opposing the Triple Alliance.

Dual Alliance

1879 defensive treaty binding Germany and Austria-Hungary chiefly against Russia.

Armament Race

General European buildup of armies and weapons before 1914.

Naval Race

Intense competition, especially between Britain and Germany, to build the largest modern fleet.

Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz

German naval minister who expanded the fleet to challenge British sea power.

Kiel Canal Deepening

German project to allow big battleships quicker access between the Baltic and North Seas.

Torpedo

Self-propelled underwater missile, a new naval weapon introduced in the late 19th century.

Torpedo Boat

Small, fast vessel designed to launch torpedoes against larger ships.

Torpedo-Boat Destroyer

Larger ship built to protect fleets by hunting and destroying torpedo boats.

"Navy is a luxury for Germany but a life and death question for England"

British slogan stressing how vital sea supremacy was to the island nation.

French Conscription Law (1913)

Legislation making three years’ military service compulsory for French males aged 26–48.

Cult of Militarism

Glorification of military power and readiness that permeated European societies before WWI.

Great Powers of 1900

Seven dominant states: Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire.

Industrial Revolution’s European Advantage

Technological lead that gave Europe economic, military, and political dominance worldwide.

German Industrial Miracle

Rapid growth that let Germany match Britain’s industrial output within roughly a decade.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Assertive German emperor whose aggressive policies fueled international tension.

Franco-German Rivalry

Enduring hostility between France and Germany over territory, power, and prestige.

"The sun never sets on the British Empire"

Popular phrase highlighting the vast global reach of British colonies.

Control of Sea Lanes

British naval strategy to secure maritime routes essential for trade and empire defense.

Czarist Autocracy

Authoritarian Russian regime weakened by slow industrialization and internal unrest.

Russo-Japanese War

1904-05 conflict in which Japan defeated Russia, exposing Russian military weakness.

Austria-Hungary’s Dual Monarchy

Joint empire of Austria and Hungary under one Habsburg emperor with shared army and diplomacy.

Bosnia-Herzegovina Annexation

1908 move by Austria-Hungary that angered Serbia and Russia.

Young Turks

Progressive Ottoman movement that deposed Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1909.

"Sick Man of Europe"

Derogatory label for the collapsing Ottoman Empire.

Turko-German Alliance

Early-20th-century partnership bringing Ottoman Empire into Germany’s strategic orbit.

Middle East Oil Interest

British concern over German influence in the petroleum-rich Ottoman territories.

Weltpolitik

Kaiser Wilhelm II’s policy of global assertiveness and colonial expansion.

Entente Cordiale

1904 Anglo-French agreement settling colonial disputes and paving the way for closer ties.

Franco-Russian Convention (1894)

Military alliance binding France and Russia against a potential German or Austro-German attack.

Anglo-Russian Convention (1907)

Treaty ending rivalry in Persia, Afghanistan, and Tibet, completing formation of the Triple Entente.

Western Mediterranean Patrol Pact

Informal arrangement whereby the French navy guarded the western Mediterranean while Britain protected the eastern route.

Théophile Delcassé

French foreign minister who engineered France’s rapprochement with Russia and Britain.

King Edward VII’s Diplomacy

British monarch’s state visits and personal influence that fostered the Entente Cordiale.

Encirclement Fear

German perception that the Triple Entente surrounded and threatened the Reich.

Balance of Power Breakdown

Failure of alliances to maintain equilibrium, leading instead to heightened tensions and war.

Marxist Explanation of WWI

Interpretation that capitalist competition for markets and colonies caused the conflict.

Capitalist Class Pressure on Government

Influence wielded by industrialists to shape foreign policy toward expansion and war.

Home Market Saturation

Condition in which domestic demand was insufficient to absorb all industrial output, prompting imperial expansion.

Naval Supremacy Anxiety

British alarm over Germany’s growing fleet, which threatened traditional Royal Navy dominance.