WW1 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.

AlliancesAlliances
•European nations began forming
military alliances with one another to
maintain a balance of powerbalance of power ……..
Triple AllianceTriple Alliance Triple EntenteTriple Entente
Central PowersCentral Powers Allied PowersAllied Powers
Germany Great Britain
Austria-Hungary Empire France
Bulgaria Russia

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.
Garvillo Princip, a Serbian nationalist
assassinated the Archduke. He was
trying to gain allowances for his fellow
Serbs who lived under Austrian rule.
Franz Ferdinand’s funeral procession
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

 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 declares war on Belgium.
 Great Britain declared war on Germany.

 Quick sweep through France to knock
the French out of the war then turn east
and defeat Russia.
 Germany is between France and Russia.
 This 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
 Germany
 Austria-Hungary
 Bulgaria
 Allies
 Russia
 France
 Serbia
 Great Britain

 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
 Germany
 Austria-Hungary
 Ottoman Empire
 Bulgaria
 Allies
 Russia
 France
 Serbia
 Great Britain
 Italy
 Romania

 Machine guns and
rapid fire artillery
 Grenades
 Submarines
 Poison Gas
 Air Planes
 Zeppelins
 Tanks
 Battle of Somme in
1916 British troops
lost 20,000 troops in
one day.

 Trench foot
 Contracted lice from rats
 Constant fear
 No man’s land
 Casualties (French had 1,000,000
casualties in first 3 months of war)

 Some felt personally involved b/c 92
million were immigrants or children of
immigrants.
 Germans and Irish for Central Powers
 Most 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 NEUTRALNEUTRAL

 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)contraband (weapons) to the British.
•Killed 1,198 civilians including 128 Americans.
•U.S. and other countries outraged towards
Germany because of “unrestricted submarine“unrestricted submarine
warfare”.warfare”.
•US believed the Germans had violated
international lawinternational 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.

WW1 causes

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WW1 causes