Causes of World War I

What is considered as the spark which ignited the tension in Europe that began World War I?

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• The bombing of Pearl Harbor

• The sinking of the Lusitania

• Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of militarism?

• Building larger navies

• Recruiting larger armies

• Reducing the size of the military

• Making better weapons

Which of the following is an example of how nationalism caused World War I?

• German efforts attempting to avoid war with Russia

• Russia leaving the war in 1917 after the Russian Revolution

• German signing of the Treaty of Versailles

• Serbian terrorists assassinated Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand

What is militarism?

• the belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests

• when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional territories under their control

• identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations

• mutual defense agreements between countries, treaties that could pull them into battle

What is imperialism?

• the belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests

• when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional territories under their control

• identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations

• mutual defense agreements between countries, treaties that could pull them into battle

What is nationalism?

• the belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests

• when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional territories under their control

• identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations

• mutual defense agreements between countries, treaties that could pull them into battle

What is an alliance?

• the belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests

• when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional territories under their control

• identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations

• mutual defense agreements between countries, treaties that could pull them into battle

How did militarism contribute to the start of World War I?

• As the world entered the 20th century, an arms race had begun, primarily over the number of each country's warships, and the increasing size of their armies—countries began training more and more of their young men to be prepared for battle.

• The receipt of the Zimmermann telegram by the American government caused distrust between Mexico and the United States, and led to an American declaration of war against Germany.

• There was a balance of power between the states in America.

How did nationalism contribute to the start of World War I?

• The sinking of the RMS Lusitania caused different nations to try to prove their navies were the best.

• As countries tried to prove their dominance and power, the war became more complicated and prolonged.

• The more territories that countries controlled meant they had more economic power and resources

• Countries were willing to give up their territories to show that they didn’t war

How did alliances contribute to the start of World War I?

• When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia got involved to defend Serbia, which led to the other allies joining the fight.

• China had a policy of having an aggressive military.

• Switzerland maintained a policy of strict neutrality and refused to enter the war.