Causes of World War One The MAIN Causes

  • Slides: 6
Download presentation
Causes of World War One The MAIN Causes The “Powderkeg” The “Spark”

Causes of World War One The MAIN Causes The “Powderkeg” The “Spark”

The MAIN Causes • Militarism- The rapid build-up of modern weaponry (arms race), large

The MAIN Causes • Militarism- The rapid build-up of modern weaponry (arms race), large standing armies & navies between and among European powers • Alliances- Secret agreements between powers to defend economic, political or nationalistic interests • Imperialism- the growth, development and defense of land overseas empires • Nationalism- strong pride in one’s own homeland that led to associations between powers based on similar cultures, languages, heritages and interests

Alliances Before WWI

Alliances Before WWI

Alliances after WWI breaks out (July, 1914)

Alliances after WWI breaks out (July, 1914)

The Powder Keg • The Balkan Peninsula is considered the “powder keg” of Europe

The Powder Keg • The Balkan Peninsula is considered the “powder keg” of Europe due to the diverse and often conflicting peoples living there » » The peoples of the Balkans are separated by mountainous terrain, differing religions and ethnic tensions. Add Imperialistic rivalry between the shrinking Ottoman Empire and the growing Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empire and you have an explosive mixture.

The Spark • The assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914

The Spark • The assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo by members of the Serbian terrorist group “The Black Hand” sparked a series of responses between European powers that led to a declaration of war between almost all of the world’s superpowers of the time.