APUSH Unit 3: WWI

Germany

One of the 5 main players in WWI:

• Headed by a Parliament

• Led by Otto Von Bismark, until he was fired in the 1880s by Kaiser Wilhelm

  • Brought a much more military and expansionist policy

  • Wants to gain more territory and colonies ⇒ expands navy and clashes with Britain

• Recently industrialized

France

One of the 5 main players of WWI:

• Military is not the strongest ⇒ focuses on defense

• On its 3rd Republic. Industrialized but still very rural

  • Has a contested border with Germany

Austria-Hungary

One of the 5 main players in WWI:

• Formed through a unification between two royal families

• Second strongest army, very large kingdom

• Balkans: lots of ethnicities, religions, nationalities ⇒”powder keg of Europe”

  • Many of these people gained independence from the Ottomans only to get annexed by A-H

  • Lots of tension

Balkans

Known as the “powder keg of Europe” this region had a variety of ethnicities and peoples, many of which had just gained their independence from the Ottoman Empire only to be annexed by Austria-Hungary

Russia

One of the 5 main players of WWI:

• Agricultural empire that strugges to industrialize

  • Huge population and largest land army

UK / United Kingdom / Great Britain

One of the 5 main players of WWI:

• Largest empire in the world, has the most stable democracy, constitutional monarchy

• Largest navy and military, has many colonies

  • Feels increasingly threatened by the German Navy

MAIN

Causes of WWI (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism)

Franco-Prussian War

War in 1874 for a disputed region between France and Germany. France Lost

Von Schlieffen Plan

• Germany getting ready for a war with France long before WWI

  • Avoiding the Maginot Line (permanent French fortifications) by instead getting to Francy through the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, violating their neutrality

Triple Alliance

This alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

Triple Entente

This alliance consisted of the UK, France, and Russia