M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI
Militarism• A country builds up its
weapons and military• May not use it
Alliance System• Countries agree to
help each other• Fight, give
supplies/money
M.A.I.N Causes of WWI
Imperialism• A stronger country
takes over a weaker country
Nationalism• Pride in your country
or nationality• You feel like you
belong to a group
Austria-Hungary
• Type of Gov: Monarchy/Emperor Franz Josef
• Relatives: Archduke Franz Ferdinand (nephew & heir)
-son committed suicide, wife & daughter dead
Austria-Hungary
• Alliances: they feared Russia so they allied with Germany in 1879
-sign a treaty with Italy & Germany in 1882 (This becomes the Triple Alliance)
Austria-Hungary
• Imperialism: they had just gained Bosnia and other Balkan countries
-took over Hungary
Serbia
• Alliance: Russia to protect themselves from Austria-Hungary
-also had used Russia’s help in freeing themselves from the Ottomans
• Nationalism: they wanted to reunite “Slavic” peoples/Serbs
-A-H had Bosnia, etc.
Germany
• Type Gov: monarchy/Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Relatives: 1st cousins (through father) King George of Great Britain
Germany
• Militarism:1. Building up arms-experimenting
with gases (secret)2. Want larger army3. Begin building up navy
Russia
• Type of Gov: monarchy/Tsar Nicholas II• Relatives: 1st cousins (through mom)
King George of Great Britain-wife Alexandra is granddaughter of late
Queen Victoria of England & she is related to almost every royal family but more importantly her father was German.
Russia
• Militarism: Fear German build up• Alliances: 1887 had one with
Germany but it lapses-1894-France 1907-Great Britain-this becomes the Triple Entente-ally with Serbia
Russia
• Imperialism: need a warm water port (want one near Mediterranean Sea)
-look to the Balkans for the port-before WWI had aided Serbs in
freeing themselves from Ottoman Empire
Russia
• Nationalism: change capital from St. Petersburg to Petrograd
• -feel language and culture is Slavic and want to unite Slavic people
France
• Type of Gov: Parliamentary system/Prime Minister Clemenceau
• Militarism: fear German build up• Alliances: 1894 look to Russia to
sandwich Germany-1904-treaty Great Britain• Imperialism: wants Alsace-Lorraine to
protect border with Germany.
Great Britain
• Type of Gov: monarchy/Parliament-King George V/ Prime Minister• Relatives: 1st cousins Tzar &
Wilhelm-cousins Queen Netherlands, King
Belgium-cousins to Tzar’s wife
Great Britain
• Militarism: always had the best navy (scared of Germany naval build up)
• Alliances: 1904-France-2nd treaty France & Russia 1907 -become Triple Entente (“friendly
understanding”)
Great Britain
• Imperialism: had an empire-India, Canada, Australia, South
Africa, etc. (means these countries are their allies in war)
Ottoman Empire
• Type Gov: Monarchy/ Sultan Mehmed V• Alliances: Germany will form an alliance
in 1914 to cut off Russia• Imperialism: lost part of their empire
early 1900s (Balkans, etc.)-own most modern day Middle East• Nationalism: unite all Muslim countries
Bulgaria
• Type Gov: Monarchy/ King Ferdinand• Alliances: ally Ottomans to get land
back from Romania• Nationalism: originally part of the
Ottomans but in 1912 separate along with Serbia, Greece, Albania, Montenegro
-they then argued over land and a 2nd war between Bulgaria and Romania (with Serbia, Montenegro, Greece) occurred
Romania
• Type of Gov: King Ferdinand
• Alliances: ally with Russia and the Allies to keep territory from Bulgaria
Italy
• Type of Gov: King Victor Emmanuel III/Prime Minister
• Alliances: original alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary
-neutral start of war-eventually become Allied Powers
The Event (Spark)
• Archduke & wife go to Sarajevo (Bosnia) for parade
• Serbian Anarchist group “Black Hand”
• Gavril Princip assainates the Archduke & his wife!
Who Cares????
• Austria Hungary declares war on Serbia
• Who has to come in and help Serbia?
• Russia!• Who comes in to
help A-H?• Germany!
• Who helps Russia?
• France!• Who helps
France?• Great Britain!
Who helps Germany?
• Ottoman Empire!
Schlieffen Plan
• Over 100 years old• Made by Count Schlieffen in
case Germany had to fight a two front war
• 1. Go through neutral Belgium & Luxumberg
• 2. Capture Paris • 3. Wheel around back
through Germany & resupply
• 4. Go to Russia• (Russia has a 6 week
mobility time)
Problem!!!!!
Solution!!!!
Why It Didn’t Work:
• 1. Belgium forces held off the Germans & delayed their entrance into Paris
• 2. Russia moved faster than expected
• 3. France are able to get their troops from Alsace-Lorraine border to Paris through taxi cabs & railroads
• THE GERMANS STUCK!!!• Solution? Trenches
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