World War I 12.1 World War I Begins. The Start Cause: The assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
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Transcript of World War I 12.1 World War I Begins. The Start Cause: The assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
World War I
12.1 World War I Begins
The Start
Cause: The assassination of Franz Ferdinand
June 1914: The Assassination
• Archduke Ferdinand• - Heir to the throne of Austria-
Hungary• Sympathetic to the Slavic Cause• Visited Sarajevo – capital of Bosnia
June 1914: The Assassination
• Archduke Ferdinand• Shot by Gavrilo Princip• - Serbian nationalist – member of the
Black Hand• Also killed wife Sophie• Will Cause: The Great War
Alliance Dominoes
Alliance Dominoes• Austria-Hungary - declared
war on Serbia• Russia – bound by treaty to
Serbia• - declares war on Austria-
Hungary.
Alliance Dominoes• Germany – (ally of Austria
Hungary) declares war on Russia and its ally France• - wants Alsace-Lorraine from
France• Germany declares war on
Belgium to attack France
Alliance Dominoes• Britain – (ally of Belgium and
France) declares war on Germany• Ottoman Empire enters the war
as a Central Power• - Hopes to gain land in the Middle
East
Allied Powers• Great Britain• France• Russia• Italy – remained neutral until 1915
before joining the Allies• United States – remained neutral
until 1917 before joining the Allies
Central Powers• Germany• Austria-Hungary• The Ottoman Empire (Turkey)• Bulgaria
Alliance Dominoes• A local conflict has now ballooned
into a global war….How?• Militarism• Alliances• Imperialism• Nationalism
The Schlieffen Plan Named for designer Alfred von SchlieffenOffensive and DefensiveBased on idea that Germany could not win on two fronts at same time.
Original German Military Strategy
• Quickly defeat France on the “Western Front” before Russia can mobilize – 6 weeks• British forces would be stranded and
unable to cross English channel – destroy them• Then turn focus at Russia on the
“Eastern Front”
The Schlieffen Plan in Action• Germany invaded France through
neutral Belgium (Aug 1914)• =Re-supply and communication
difficult for Germany • Belgian Army defends against
German troops• - Gave French and British forces time
to rush troops to battle
• Germans able to push Allies back to Marne River (France)• First Battle of Marne• -Allies push advancing Germans back 40
miles• - Germans dig deep trenches• -French dig shallow trenches• By the end of 1914 – War is a potential
stalemate = Trench Warfare