European Empire Building Leads to WWI

SS6H6d. Explain the impact of empire building in Africa and Asia on the

outbreak of WWI

Scramble for Africa1885-1910

• Great Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands – divided Africa among themselves

• Why – Natural resources

• Gold, diamonds, oil– Politics

• National pride (more colonies = more status)

– Worldview• Desire to “civilize“ and

Christianize Africa

Scramble for Asia

• Europe changed from Asia’s trading partner to Asia’s conqueror

• British took India

• French took Vietnam

On the rise in Europe:

• Nationalism: love of one’s country

• Militarism: using strong armies and threats of war

European countries signed treaties agreeing to help each other in case of attack.

Alliances

The Great War (WWI) 1914-1918

Causes:1. MAIN : Militarism,

Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism

2. Tensions over territory in the Balkans

3. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife by Gavrilo Princip, a Serb

WWI “The War to End All Wars”

Central Powers

• Austria-Hungary• Ottoman Empire

(Turkey + colonies)• Bulgaria• Germany• Plus all their colonies

Allied Powers• Russia• France• U.S.• U.K.• Plus all their

colonies

War Ends• The turning point came in mid- 1918 in favor

of the Allies. • Germany signed an ARMISTICE at eleven

o'clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, which ended the war (now called Veteran’s Day).

• The Allies won.• Germany was blamed for the war.