The Great War 1914-1918

• In Europe, military buildup, nationalistic feelings, and rival alliances set the stage for a continental war

Militarism

• Policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war– Having a large, strong standing army made

citizens feel patriotic– Others were frightened by the potential

disturbance of peace

Militarism cont.

• ~ European nations believed to be truly great, they needed a powerful military, leading to the rise of a dangerous European arms race…

• by 1914→ all powers had large standing armies– EXCEPT Great Britain

• Military experts stressed the importance of being able to quickly organize and move troops in case of war– Generals in each country developed highly detailed

plans for such mobilization

ALLIANCES

• Growing rivalries and mistrust had led to the creation of several military alliances among Great Powers

• Designed to keep peace in Europe→ instead it helped push the continent into war

1. The Alliance System1. The Alliance System

Triple EntenteTriple Entente::Triple EntenteTriple Entente:: Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::

Alliance System

• Serbian assassins kill Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Austro-Hungarian thrown)

• Austria-Hungry declares war on Serbia• Russia (allied with Serbia) declares war on

Austria-Hungry• Germany (allied with Austria-Hungry) declares

war on Russia first, then France• When German troops cross Belgium to get to

France, Great Britain (allied with Belgium) declares war on Germany

Nationalism

• Nationalism→ deep devotion to one’s nation; can serve as a unifying force within a country

• Can also cause intense competition among nations, with each seeking to overpower the other

• France: longed to regain its position as Europe’s leading power; wanted to recover provinces lost to Germany in Franco-Prussian War 1870 (Alsace & Lorraine)

• Germany: Proud of empire’s new military & industrial might

NationalismNationalism

• Russia: Russian duty to lead & defend all Slavs• Balkans: Rising nationalism in multinational

empires (Austria-Hungary & Ottoman Empire) “Balkan Powder Keg”

• Serbia- hoped to absorb Slavic population on the Balkan Peninsula-Russia supported

• Austria-Hungary→ opposed it, fearing that efforts to form a Slavic state would stir rebellion amongst its own Slavic population

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914

The“Powder

Keg”of Europe

The“Powder

Keg”of Europe

Imperialism

• ~ European powers continued to compete for colonization in Africa and Asia…

• Push for imperialism often pushed European nations to the brink or war– sense of rivalry and mistrust of one another

continued to deepen

European Imperialism in Africa

ASSASSINATION

• A Shot Rings Throughout Europe:• ~ Amidst all this turmoil in Europe, Archduke

Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, visit Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia to inspect army maneuvers…

• June 28, 1914→ after escaping an attempt on their life through a bomb…the couple can’t escape death twice and were shot dead

• Gavrilo Princip→ 19-year old Serbian assassin• Member of the Black Hand→ secret society

committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule

The Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassin: The Assassin:

GavriloPrincipGavriloPrincip

Who’s To Blame?Who’s To Blame?

• *The countries of Europe followed through on their pledges to support one another. As a result, nearly all of Europe soon joined what would be the largest, most destructive war the world has seen yet.