WWI Causes

1st World War in history

•Great War or War to End all War •Not called WWI until after WWII •Total war •Involved 60 nations and 6 continents

Cost of War •$400 billion •$10 million dollars an hour 16 million deaths •First war of the Industrial Revolution…… New Weapons vs old tactics of fighting

 Imperialism-

European powers were going to all parts of the world to gain land.

 Africa, Asia, The Pacific  By 1910, the most desirable

colonies had

been taken.  Germany envied France and Britain b/c they had the most richest colonies.  They soon realized that the only way to get land in Africa was to take it away from the colonizers.

European nations competing for colonies around the world…..Imperialism

2

forms- 1: to act in the country’s own national interest.  Ex: Alsace-Lorraine-strip of land on the boarder of France and Germany.  Had been taken by Germany in 1871 and France was expecting to gain it back.  Germany did not want to give it up.  This caused problems in their relationship.

 2. The

longing for an ethnic minority independence in a nation where there are many different/diverse groups.  Ex: Austria-Hungary- Hungarians and German speaking Austrians governed millions of Czechs, Slovaks, Poles Italians, Romanians and Serbs.  These different groups wanted their own independent self government and lands.  This often caused conflict within the nation itself.

 Building

up a nation’s military for war and giving them more power than the government.  Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia  Spend large sums of money on new weapons and warships.  All of these countries were preparing for war.

Alliances •European nations began forming military alliances with one another to maintain a balance of power ……..

Triple Alliance Central Powers

Triple Entente Allied Powers

Germany Austria-Hungary Empire Bulgaria

Great Britain France Russia

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand’s funeral procession

Garvillo Princip, a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Archduke. He was trying to gain allowances for his fellow Serbs who lived under Austrian rule.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his family. Archduke was heir to the throne in the Austrian Hungarian Empire. His assassination June 28, 1914 eventually led to WWI.

 When

the Archduke was assassinated, Bosnia along with Serbia were annexed to Austria-Hungary.  Austria-Hungary was convinced Serbia has something to do with the killings.  They used this excuse to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.  This set off the chain reaction of alliances throughout Europe.

 July

29, 1914- (Russia was Serbia’s protector) began mobilization.  Germany demanded Russia stop. They didn’t. Germany declared war on Russia.  Russia’s

ally France declared war on Germany.

 Germany  Great

declares war on Belgium.

Britain declared war on Germany.

 Quick

sweep through France to knock the French out of the war then turn east and defeat Russia.

 Germany  This

is between France and Russia.

plan was put in order to avoid fighting both countries at the same time.

 Germany

had to pass through Belgium to get to France  Belgium was neutral.  Germany

hoped Britain would stay out of

the war.  The invasion of Belgium brought Britain into the war.  1 week after the conflict started all of Europe’s great powers were involved.

 Central

Powers

 Allies

 Germany

 Russia

 Austria-Hungary

 France

 Bulgaria

 Serbia  Great

Britain

Archduke and Wife Assassinated

Germany Demands Russia Stop

Germany’s Schlieffen Plan

Austria-Hungary Declares war on Serbia July 28, 1914

Russian’s ally France readies troops

Britain Enters War after invasion of Belgium August 4, 1914

Russia Begins Mobilization July 29, 1914

Germany Declares war on Russia August 1,1914

Central Powers and Allies Formed

 Stalemate-

Both sides can’t gain the

advantage.  Germany

and France and Britain

 1914

Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria join Central Powers

 Italy

and Romania join Allies

 Central

Powers

 Allies

 Germany

 Russia

 Austria-Hungary

 France

 Ottoman

 Serbia

 Bulgaria

Empire

 Great

Britain

 Italy  Romania

 Machine

guns and rapid fire artillery

 Air

Planes

 Zeppelins  Grenades

 Tanks  Submarines  Poison

Gas

 Battle

of Somme in 1916 British troops lost 20,000 troops in one day.

 Trench

foot

 Contracted  Constant  No

lice from rats

fear

man’s land

 Casualties

(French had 1,000,000 casualties in first 3 months of war)

Trench Warfare

 Some

felt personally involved b/c 92 million were immigrants or children of immigrants.

 Germans  Most

and Irish for Central Powers

Americans for Allies

 Wilson

wanted Americans to remain neutral.

•Panama Canal was completed in August of 1914 just a week before WWI began in Europe. •Woodrow Wilson became President in 1912. •Americans were shocked by the outbreak of war but…………..it was in Europe. •US was officially NEUTRAL

 American

Neutrality- Influenced by trade

 Preparedness

Movement- Be ready for war. Patriotic education (Propaganda)

 Peace

Movement- Progressives, social reformers and women. (Women marching down streets proclaiming peace).

3

groups

 Isolationists-

Stay out of war

 Interventionists-

U.S. should intervene on

side of Allies  Internationalists-

Get involved only to solve the problem and promote peace.

 Britain

blockades Germany for its contraband.

 Later

Britain took all of the goods that were supposed to go into Germany. (Food, cotton, medicine, gasoline)

 German

response = blockade of Britain

 U-Boats-

Britain and Germany competed to build the largest and strongest navy.  Germany blockaded Britain by navy.  Propaganda used by Britain to sway U.S. opinion.  Lusitania- 128 Americans killed  Germany agreed to stop blowing up passenger ships.  March 24,1916 Sussex was sunk by Germans

 Killed

2 Americans

 Sussex

Pledge- Germans would warn ships before they sank them.

 Wilson

authorized banks to make a huge loan to the Allies.

•May 7, 1915, the Germans sunk the Lusitania which was British passenger liner. •Germans believed it was carrying contraband (weapons) to the British. •Killed 1,198 civilians including 128 Americans. •U.S. and other countries outraged towards Germany because of “unrestricted submarine warfare”. •US believed the Germans had violated international law of targeting civilians

 Jan. 31, 1917

Germany informs U.S. that the Sussex pledge would be ended.

 Feb. 3

U.S. cuts off diplomatic ties with Germany.

 Zimmerman

Note- Germany promises lost land to Mexico if they declare war on U.S.