World War I

• The causes of World War I included imperialist expansion and competition for resources. In addition, territorial and regional conflicts combined with a flawed alliance system and intense nationalism to escalate the tensions into global conflict
• New military technology led to increased levels of wartime casualties
• WWI was the first total war; Governments used a variety of strategies, including political propaganda, art, media, and intensified forms of nationalism to mobilize the populations for the purpose of waging war

The World in the Early 20th Century

• By 1900, Europeans (and people with EU ancestry) largely controlled the entire world through their formal empires or informal influence → would soon change over the next few decades
• Rivalry and competition between European states continued
• Fragile peace was barely maintained following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815
  • Congress of Vienna - international meeting held to redraw European boundaries
  • Attempt to create a peaceful balance of power in Europe
• Rivalries intensified following the unification of Germany in 1871

German Unification

• Alsace-Lorraine taken over by Germany after Franco-German War (1870-1871)
• Creates anti-German sentiment since France loses valuable iron ore deposits, steelmaking plants, and other industries

Causes of WWI

• ^^Militarism^^
• ^^Alliances^^
• ^^Nationalism^^
• ^^Imperialism^^
• ==Assassination==
• ==Crisis in the Balkans==
• ==Series of Diplomatic Failures==

Militarism:

• glorification and expansion of the military
• Conscription: the draft of civilians into the military
• Domino Effect → when one country enhanced its military, other countries would do the same

Alliances:

• systems: defense agreements among nations
• 2 major alliance systems:
  • Triple Alliance (central powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
  • Triple Entente (allies): Great Britain, Russia, and France
• Militarism led to secret alliances to ensure protection in case of an attack:
  • Britain + France + Russia = viewed Germany as a rival
  • France: bitter over losing Franco-Prussian War to Germany
  • Britain: competed with Germany for colonies in Africa
  • Allies: US, China, Japan, Britain, France, Russia
  • Italy switched to the Allies in 1915

Nationalism:

• had unified Germany and Italy and was becoming more and more popular
• France wanted Alsace-Lorraine back from Germany
• Austrian Empire - nationalism was creating the most violent tensions in Europe
  • Pan-Slavism: Slavic Nationalism; desire to unite all of the Slavic people under one empire

Imperialism:

• European imperialist rivalries since the 1800s
• Competed for territory and economic power all over the world
  • Especially in: Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, China, and the Balkans
• Competition = Hostility; Europe “Got in each other’s way”

Assassinations:

• the “spark” of WWI
• June 28th, 1914" = Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated
• His wife, Sophie, also killed
• They were in Sarajevo = capital in Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • a territory controlled by Austria-Hungary with large Slavic population
• Murdered by Gavrilo Princip = member of the Black Hand

Crisis in the Balkans:

• Many Slavic people in Austrian and Russian Empires
• also in the Balkans; a region once controlled by the Ottoman Empire (now falling apart)
• Serbia = in favor of Pan-Slavism

Series of Diplomatic Failures:

• Ultimatum fron A-H to Serbia fails; A-H declares war on Serbia
• Russia (protector of the Slavs) and France mobilize against Germany
• Germany declares war on France using the Schlieffan plan, going through neutral Belgium
• England declares war on Germany for attacking neutral Belgium

German Support:

• A-H approached Germany and made sure that Germany would support it if it took action against Serbia
• Germany promised a “blank check” of support
  • Unconditional and full support

Declaration of War

• A-H gave Serbia an ultimatum
  • Serbia must let A-H officials into the country to stop all violent, nationalist movements
  • Serbia must let A-H officials into the country to investigate the assassination
• Serbia said nope
• July 28th, 1914: A-H declares war on Serbia
• Both countries started mobilization: preparing the military for war

A European War:

• Russia began to mobilize
  • Supported Serbia and Pan-Slavism
• France began to mobilize to support Russia
• Germany gave Russia and France an ultimatum: stop mobilizing or face war
  • they didn’t stop
  • Germany declared war on Russia and France
• Great Britain tried to stay neutral
• August 1914: Germany invaded neutral Belgium in order to get to France