Causes of WWI

• Causes of World War I

Main Branches

1. Militarism

• Definition

  • Build-up of military forces

  • Key Points

    • Arms race among European powers

    • Influence of military leaders on politics

    • National pride linked to military strength

    • 1897 Admiral Alfred Von Tirpitz

2. Alliances

• Definition

  • Agreements between countries for mutual defense

• Key Points

  • Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

  • Triple Entente: France, Russia, Britain

  • Entangling alliances increased tensions

3. Imperialism

• Definition

  • Competition for colonies and global dominance

• Key Points

  • Scramble for Africa and Asia

  • Conflicts over territories (e.g., Morocco Crisis 1905 and 1911)

  • Economic rivalries fueled tensions

4. Nationalism

• Definition

  • Strong patriotic feelings and loyalty to one's nation

• Key Points

  • Ethnic tensions in multi-national empires (e.g., Austro-Hungarian Empire)

  • Desire for independence among various ethnic groups

  • National pride leading to aggressive foreign policies

• Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

  • The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 was the immediate catalyst that triggered the war. His death set off a chain reaction of events, as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, leading to Russia mobilizing in defense of Serbia, and subsequently drawing in other nations due to the existing alliances.

    The Impact of Propaganda

    Propaganda also played a significant role in shaping public opinion and justifying the war. Governments used propaganda to DEMONIZE the enemy and rally support for the war effort. This not only fueled nationalism but also created a sense of urgency and moral obligation to engage in the conflict.

    Conclusion

    Ultimately, the combination of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism created a volatile environment ripe for conflict. The interconnected nature of these factors meant that once the war began, it was difficult for any nation to withdraw or negotiate peace without losing face or power. The lessons learned from World War I remain relevant today, as they remind us of the dangers of unchecked nationalism and the importance of diplomacy in maintaining global peace.

Moroccan Crises:

• 1905: Germany tries to challenge France’s control over Morocco. Great Britain was also alerted by this, seeing as Germany could be a potential volatile threat. Resolved by Algeciras Conference in 1906

• 1911: France deploys SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER of troops to Morocco. Germany deploys gunboat SMS Panther. Germany demands “territorial compensation” for itself. Crisis resolved in 1911.

Propaganda

How were British men convinced to go off to war?

• Patriotism (Propaganda posters, being told they would win)

• Peer Pressure (Fear of being known as a coward)

• Fear of Germans (Fear-mongering, Zeppelin / German Navy attacks)

Conscientious Objectors = Men who refused to enlist

Censorship

Why do governments censor information?

• To protect secrets (e.g strategy)

• To cover up mistakes

• To prevent opposition

• Decency (e.g swearing / nudity)

• To control people’s actions / opinions

Conscription

• January 1916 (Military Service Act)

• Men ages 18-40 were forced to join the army

• Later 18-51

• Reserved Occupations: Teachers, doctors, farmers, etc.

Battle of The Somme

Objective

• To take pressure off the French at Verdun

Details

• Battle started on the 1st July 1916 (Order was given to go over top)

• Ended 13th November 1916 (5 months)

• Joint Anglo-French attack

• Planned by British Commander-In-Chief Sir Douglas Haig

• 60,000 men dead/wounded on first day

• French more successful

• End of attack: 450,000 British, 200,000 French and 650,000 German dead.

• Distance gained: 5 miles

Strategy

• Week-long bombardment on Germans (In reality Germans had well-built, reinforced trenches to protect themselves. The bombardment also informed them of the coming attack)

• Aeroplanes to check that German defences had been destroyed (In fact it was a cloudy day and the planes did not have great visibility.)

• Infantry would run across No-Man’s-Land and take German lines (The Germans had machine guns and shot them down. In addition, the torn up land and remaining barbed wire made it so many got stuck.)