World War I - The Main Causes (MAIN)

Glorification of the military during this period.
Countries aimed to have the biggest and best weapons.
This was largely tied to imperialism, as nations wanted to protect their colonies.
Countries invested heavily in their military, leading to a warlike attitude.
Analogy: "When the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you're gonna look around for nails."
- This means that when a country focuses solely on its military, it will try to solve every problem with military force.
Militarism was driven by the desire to protect overseas colonies from other nations.
Belief that war was the only way to maintain peace.

Countries competed to develop bigger and better weapons.
If one country acquired a powerful weapon, others would seek to acquire the same weapon or an even more powerful one.
This created a tense and suspicious atmosphere.
Example scenario: Neighbor with big weapons suddenly asking to borrow sugar, creating suspicion.
Similar to the Cold War dynamic.

Countries that would support each other in case of war.
NATO as a modern example.
- Article 5 of NATO: An attack on one member is an attack on all.
- Designed as a deterrent.
- Primarily consists of Western European countries.
Vladimir Putin's claim about Ukraine and NATO.
- One of the stated reasons for invading Ukraine was the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.
- Similar justification used for invading Georgia.
Alliances increased fear, distrust, and suspicion among nations.
Nations sought allies to feel stronger; attack on one is considered an attack on all.

Unified in 1871.
Germany felt like an underdog compared to other Western powers.
Nationalism played a significant role.
Germany felt it needed to prove its strength.
Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy was one of the first steps to show their power.

France, Russia, and Great Britain.
"Entente" is French for an agreement to cooperate.
Formed in response to the Triple Alliance.
Leaders believed alliances would maintain peace because no nation would attack another, fearing a combined response.
Germany was seen as the instigator, pushing others into war to prove itself.

Depicts the alliance system and how it could lead to war.
Serbia (the smallest) is threatened, leading to a chain reaction involving Austria-Hungary, Russia, Germany, France, and Great Britain.
Illustrates how a conflict involving a small nation could escalate into a larger war.

Competition for colonies caused conflict.
Balance of power was crucial in Europe at the time.
After the Napoleonic Wars, European powers aimed to prevent any single nation from becoming too powerful.
This balance was threatened by the emergence of Germany as a major power.
Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain saw themselves as great imperial nations and were wary of rivals gaining power.
Zero-sum game: The belief that power is a finite resource. If one nation gains power, others lose it.
- This mentality drove competition for colonies and resources.
- Europe viewed every potential conquest as a zero-sum game.
The U.S. was not considered one of the great imperial nations at this time, focusing more on the Pacific and Atlantic regions.
Japan was also not yet a major player, though it had fought China.

Pride and loyalty in one's nation or culture, often at the expense of others.
Led to the formation of new countries like Germany and Italy.
Motivated people to fight for their country.
Ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, a region in Southern Europe with many different ethnic groups.
The Ottoman Empire was declining, leading to power struggles in the Balkans.
Various groups sought to pursue their own nationalistic desires.
Austria-Hungary aimed to take over the Balkans after the Ottoman Empire withdrew, but faced resistance due to growing nationalism.
Serbia, an independent nation, wanted to expand its borders to create a "greater Serbia," uniting all ethnic Serbs.
This expansion was opposed by Austria-Hungary, which feared it would lose territory and encourage other ethnic groups within its empire to seek independence.

Immediate spark that ignited World War I.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo.
Franz Ferdinand's visit to Sarajevo was intended as a peace offering.
The Black Hand: The Serbian nationalist group responsible for the assassination.
- They aimed to send a message that they were ungovernable and opposed Austro-Hungarian rule.
The assassination attempt involved multiple conspirators.
After the initial failed bombing, Gavrilo Princip, one of the assassins, encountered the Archduke's car by chance and seized the opportunity to shoot him and his wife.
Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination and sought support from Germany, leading to declarations of war and the escalation of the conflict.