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World War ICauses and Alliances

The MAIN Causes of WWI

M – Militarism

A – Alliances

I – Imperialism

N – Nationalism

Alliances• Before the War

– Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy– Triple Entente: France, Great Britain, Russia

• During the War– Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary,

Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Italy (switches sides in 1915)

– Allies: France, Great Britain, Russia, U.S.A. (1917), and other nations

Igniting Incident• June 28, 1914 - The

assassination of Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo, Bosnia

• Responsible group –Serbian nationalist and member of “Black Hand,”Gavrilo Princip

The Domino Theory(Chain Reaction)

• Austria sends Serbia an “ultimatum”– July 28, 1914 – Austria declares war on Serbia

• Russia mobilizes troops– Aug. 1, 1914 – Germany declares war on Russia– Aug. 3, 1914 – Germany declares war on France

• Germany wants to attack France by way of Belgium; Belgium refuses– Aug. 4, 1914 – Germany declares war on Belgium– Aug. 4, 1914 – Great Britain declares war on Germany– Aug. 6, 1914 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia

(Austria-Hungary & Germany – vs. – Belgium, Great Britain, France, Serbia and Russia)

Schlieffen PlanGermany’s plan depended on SPEED and avoiding fighting on two fronts.

1. Rush through Belgium & France to take Paris (the Western Front)

2. Then use trains to transport extra soldiers & supplies to the Eastern Front (German & Russian border) to fight Russians

• Plan failed – Germany must fight war on two fronts

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WWI Technology

• Machine gun• Big Bertha• Poison Gas• Tanks• Flame throwers• Airplanes• U-boats

WWI German messenger dog.

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U.S. Enters War

• Germans employ UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE

• SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA

• THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM

Lusitania

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