The Causes of WW1 The Great War

by Mr. Eisenman

Key Questions 100th Anniversary of the Great War

• What were the causes of war?

• How did technology and new weapons change war?

• How did the geography of Europe impact how the war

was fought?

• How did soldiers experience war on the two fronts?

• How did the outcome of WWI shape life in the last 100

years?

• Why did the Russian Revolution occur and how did it

impact WWI?

4 Causes of WWI

•Militarism

•Alliances

•Imperialism

•Nationalism

Militarism 1.

• Definition: The glorification

of military power and the

presence of a standing army

• European nations believed

that to be a truly great nation,

military power was necessary

Militarism 2.

• Arms race

– During the 1700s & 1800s

Britain ruled the seas.

– Germany challenged British

sea power as well as Russian

and French Army power

• Each nation had plans ready

to mobilize troops for war

• Thus nations were willing

and able to go to war!!!

Label your map of Europe using this

one- don’t color yet!!!

Alliances

• Definition: A union between countries created

for mutual benefit.

• By 1914, all the major powers were linked by a

system of secret alliances.

• Alliances = more likely for war to start

– You have to defend your ally if they are attacked

• Alliances = bigger wars

– Once started, the alliances made it more likely to

spread.

Secret alliance= more likely war

Do Now…

• Get 2 colored pencils/light colored markers

• On your map of Europe in 1914, create a

key that looks like this:

Triple Alliance/Central Powers

Triple Entente/Allies

Neutral

• Decide which color is going to be with

which alliance

Use the map below to color the

alliances & neutral countries

Germany’s position

• What are the advantages and disadvantages

of Germany’s position in Europe?

Schlieffen Plan

• In order to defend Germany against Russia,

Germany would need to attack France through

Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg first in

order to avoid long-term war on two fronts. They

believed that a French threat could be quickly

eliminated before focusing on Russia.

Imperialism, 1870-1914

Definition: The political, military,

economic or cultural influence of a strong

nation over a weaker nation

Competition for overseas empires created

rivalries and mistrust

ie, Germany and France nearly fought

over Morocco.

Nationalism

• Definition: Devotion to one’s nation.

• Creates unity, but also division

• Rivaly among the 6 Great powers:

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain,

Russia, Italy and France

• Competition for markets, raw materials,

industrial dominance, and territory.

Germany-France rivalry

o France loses Alsace-Lorraine to Germany in Franco-Prussian War (1871)

o 1911: fight over Morocco

Nationalism Continued

• Many ethnic groups

believed that they had a

right to have their own

state and wanted

indendence.

• In the Balkans, the

Great powers, Turkey,

and the independence

aims of groups like the

Serbs collided.

Significant Individuals 1

• Kaiser Wilhelm II

• Built up German army and

navy

• Aggressive foreign policy

• Determined to make

Germany a top nation.

• Distrusted by other powers

“Germany must have

its place in the sun”

“The world belongs to

the strong.”

Significant Individuals 2

• Gavrilo Princip

• Serbian

• Member of the Black

Hand

• Assassinated

Archduke Franz

Ferdinand (A-H)

Significant Individuals 3

• Archduke Franz

Ferdinand

– Heir to the Austro-

Hungarian Throne

– Assassinated in

Sarajevo, Bosnia

Balkans = Europe’s Powderkeg

• 28 June 1914

• Heir to Austrian throne Franz Ferdinand visits Sarajevo.

• Sarajevo = Capital of Bosnia, recently grabbed by Austria.

• Assassinated by Serbian Black Hand

Seal of the

Black Hand

group

Do Now…

• Read the eyewitness account of the

assassination. According to this account,

does the writer support the assassination?

Write a paragraph in which you use quotes

from the document to support your

opinion.

Domino Effect

1. Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to Austro-Hungarian throne) and wife are assassinated in June 28, 1914 by a Serbian nationalist

2. Austria-Hungary gives Serbia an ultimatum (list of demands) to avoid war

3. AH rejects Serbia’s offer of peace and declares war on July 28, 1914.

4. Russia moves troops to Austrian and German borders.

Domino Effect

5. Germany sees this as an act of aggression, declares war on Russia on August 1, 1914. 6. Germany declares war on France. 7. Germany invades Belgium as part of Schlieffen Plan. 8. Britain declares war on Germany on August 4, 1914 9. Italy switches sides leaves Alliance to join Entente

Review…

• Write down and finish the rest of the word:

– M

– A

– I

– N

• Now define each word

• Who killed whom to start WWI?

• Who declared war first?

• What was the most important cause of WWI?