World War I Causes and Escalation

The immediate trigger was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914.
Within five weeks, major European powers were at war, which lasted four years, causing immense destruction and suffering.
Wars rarely have a single cause; understanding the Great War requires looking beyond the triggering event.
In 1914, war was often glorified in schools, books, newspapers, and magazines as a heroic adventure.
Most people viewed wars as short, exciting, noble, and glorious.
An arms race occurred in Europe between 1870 and 1914, with military spending increasing by 300% among the great powers.
Continental European powers adopted conscription.
Some historians describe Europe in 1914 as a powder keg ready to explode.
Imperialism and nationalism had caused international tensions and conflicts long before 1914.
Nations sought security through alliances due to fear and suspicion of rivals.
Leaders believed alliances would ensure aid if threatened, but these alliances could also drag countries into conflicts.

Imperialism: policy of an empire gaining land by conquest and ruling or dominating other countries as colonies.
Nationalism: feeling of loyalty to a nation.

From the 1870s, Germany sought alliances with Austria–Hungary and Russia due to fear of French revenge after taking Alsace and Lorraine in 1870.
This alliance was unsustainable because Austria–Hungary and Russia had competing interests.
In 1879, Germany created the Dual Alliance with Austria–Hungary, agreeing to mutual aid if attacked by Russia.
The Dual Alliance became the Triple Alliance in 1882 when Italy joined.
Germany also tried to maintain friendly relations with Britain and Russia.

From 1888, German foreign policy shifted, and after failing to renew a treaty with Russia in 1890, France allied with Russia.
The 1894 Franco-Russian Alliance stipulated that each would help the other if attacked by Germany.
Kaiser Wilhelm II aimed to create a colonial empire and build up the German navy, alarming Britain, whose empire relied on naval superiority.
Britain signed the Entente Cordiale with France in 1904.
In 1907, Britain and Russia settled their differences, forming the Triple Entente with France.
Conflicting French and German interests in North Africa and conflicting Russian and Austrian interests in the Balkans increased tensions.
The Balkans became the focal point for these tensions to erupt into war.

Nationalism was strong in the Balkan peninsula, where several national groups had gained independence from the Ottoman Empire since the 1820s.
Austria–Hungary feared that national minorities seeking independence could infect their empire.
Tension existed primarily between Austria and Serbia, the most powerful independent Balkan nation.
Serbian nationalists wanted Slavic peoples within Austria–Hungary to unite in a South Slav kingdom.
In 1908, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkish Balkan provinces with a significant Serbian population, angering many Serbs.
By 1914, Serbia viewed Austria as the main impediment to its expansion.
Austria saw Serbia as a threat to its empire's existence.
Austria–Hungary was more powerful than Serbia, but Serbia had Russia's backing, which portrayed itself as the champion of Orthodox Christian Slavs.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife, the Duchess Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo.
The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb from the extreme Serbian nationalist group Young Bosnia, which aimed to unite Bosnia with Serbia.
They were armed and assisted by Danilo Ilić, a member of the Black Hand, a secret society led by the head of Serbian military intelligence.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand opposed war against Serbia and wanted political reform in the Austro-Hungarian Empire with more rights for its subjects.
Austria received a guarantee of military support from Germany and, on July 23, presented Serbia with an ultimatum.

Austria knew Serbia could not accept all terms of the ultimatum, especially allowing Austrian troops to track down Serb terrorists inside Serbia.
Serbia accepted many demands and offered to discuss others, but Austria declared war on July 28.
Russia began mobilizing its forces to support Serbia on July 30, so Germany declared war on Russia on August 1.
After France declared it would stand by its Russian ally, Germany declared war on France on August 3.
Russia, Germany, France, Belgium, Britain, and their empires were rapidly drawn into World War I.

June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated.
July 5, 1914: Germany pledges support for Austria–Hungary.
July 23, 1914: Austria–Hungary presents an ultimatum to Serbia.
July 28, 1914: Austria–Hungary declares war on Serbia.
July 30, 1914: Russia mobilizes its troops to support Serbia.
August 1, 1914: Germany declares war on Russia.
August 3, 1914: Germany declares war on France and invades Belgium.
August 4, 1914: Britain declares war on Germany.
August 6, 1914: Austria–Hungary declares war on Russia. Serbia declares war on Germany.

Slavic: belonging to the Slavs (a language group including Russians, Serbs, and other Central and Eastern European peoples).
Ultimatum: a final set of demands or terms backed by a threat.