WW1 Intro and Causes

Introduction to WW1

We can remember the long-term causes by
remembering MANIA

Militarism

Alliances

Nationalism

Imperialism

Assassination

Causes of WW1

Cause 1 Militarism

Militarism

Militarism is the belief that a country should have a strong military force and be
prepared to use it to aggressively promote its interests.

Militarism

Leading up to World War I, countries in Europe were strong proponents of militarism. This
led to an arms race where nations spent more and more money on military technology,
employing more troops, and training their soldiers.

As European nations continued to pursue imperialism, or the conquest of other nations,
the built up their armies. In order to gain colonies, they needed to have strong militaries
to defeat the people they were colonizing as well as the other industrial nations that were
competing with.

Having a strong military also fueled nationalism. Having strong military power was
considered a measurement of national pride, strength, and global status.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-KZVD0fsJ8

Open Ended

How did militarism help create the conditions or the start of World War 1

Cause 2 Alliances

Alliances

Alliances are agreements between nations stating that each country will assist
the other if they are attacked.

Alliances

To increase their own nations’ security, European
powers signed treaties, or written agreements with one
another forming alliances.

On the verge of World War I, there were two large
alliances:
1.Triple Entente or Allied Powers: United Kingdom
(Great Britain), France, and Russia.

2.Triple Alliance or Central Powers: Germany,
Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Leaders of the Central Powers (left to
right): Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany; Kaiser
and King Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary;
Sultan Mehmed V of the Ottoman Empire;
Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

Open Ended

How did alliances help create the conditions for the start of WW1?

Cause 3 Nationalism

Nationalism

Nationalism is pride in one’s nation and the
accompanied development of patriotic feelings,
shared histories, and efforts to protect national
interests.

British poster encouraging young men to enlist
in the army to defend their country.

Nationalism

In the 1700s and 1800s, nationalism brought revolution and unification to Europe. Groups of people with
common languages, histories, and cultures, like the Italians and Germans, fought to create their own
countries out of older empires.

Leading up to World War I, people in Europe started to define themselves based on their nation and in
opposition to others. Pride in one’s country was at an all time high. Some ethnic groups that wanted to
unify but were a part of the few empires left in Europe, like the Austrian Hungarian Empire and the
Ottoman Empire, created tension by declaring their desire to rule themselves, otherwise known as
sovereignty.

Having a strong military also fueled nationalism. Having strong military power was considered a
measurement of national pride, strength, and global status.

Open Ended

How did nationalism help create the conditions for the start of WW1?

Cause 4 Imperialism

Imperialism

Imperialism is the act of extending control over a foreign nation or territory.

Imperialism

European countries competed with each other all over the world in the 1800s and early 1900s to
acquire more colonies. The search for raw materials to fuel industry and markets to buy goods in
far-flung corners of the world led to increased tension in Europe.

The world in 1914:

Open Ended

How did imperialism help create the conditions for the start of WW1?

Cause 5 Assassination

Assissination

An assassination is a murder of an important person in a surprise attack for
political or religious reasons

Assassination

The immediate cause of World War I that made the aforementioned items come into play (alliances,
imperialism, militarism, nationalism) was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of
Austria-Hungary.

In June 1914, a Serbian-nationalist terrorist group called the Black
Hand sent groups to assassinate the Archduke. Their first attempt failed when a driver avoided a
grenade thrown at their car. However, later that day a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip
assassinated him and his wife while they were in Sarajevo, Bosnia which was part of Austria-Hungary.

This was in protest to Austria-Hungary having control of this region. Serbia wanted to take over Bosnia
and Herzegovina. This assassination led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. When Russia
began to mobilize due to its alliance with Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia. Thus began the
expansion of the war to include all those involved in the mutual defense alliances.

Assassinations

The first page of the edition of the Domenica
del Corriere, an Italian paper, with a drawing of
Achille Beltrame depicting Gavrilo Princip
killing Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria
in Sarajevo. July 12, 1914.

Open Ended

How did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand help create the conditions for the start of WW1?

Big Check on Learning

Vocab

Word

Defintion

Your Words

World War I

(1914-1919) war fought between
France, Great Britain, and the
United States on one side and
Germany and Austria-Hungary on
the other

assassination

a murder of an important person in
a surprise attack for political or
religious reasons

alliance

a union or team formed to support
and protect one another

Triple Alliance (Central Powers)

Alliance during WWI that included
Austria-Hungary, Germany, and
Italy

Cause

Definition In your words!

How it contributed to the cause of
WW1