MH

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