Objective To analyze the causes of World War
Objective: To analyze the causes of World War I.
Allied Powers: Central Powers: Germany Great Britain France Austria-Hungary World War I Russia Ottoman Empire Italy
Causes of WWI - Militarism is a policy of building up a strong military to prepare for war. During the late 19 th and early 20 th century, countries in Europe like Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia were spending more and more money on their militaries. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914 and there was fierce competition between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas. The British had introduced the 'Dreadnought', an effective battleship, in 1906. The Germans soon followed suit introducing their own battleships. A German general named Von Schlieffen also drew up a plan of action that involved attacking France through Belgium if Russia made an attack on Germany. As you can see, all of these countries were preparing for long before World War I began.
Causes of WWI - Alliances Triple Entente: Great Britain France Russia Triple Alliance: Germany Austria-Hungary Italy
Alliances
Causes of WWI - Alliances are agreements between nations to aid and protect one another in time of war. When an alliance is signed, those countries become known as allies. Look back at the previous slide. As you can see, a number of countries in Europe had signed treaties with one another during the late 19 th and early 20 th century. These were important because they meant that some countries had no option but to declare war if one of their allies declared war first. In other words, if your ally went to war, then you had to go to war. Or if you ally was attacked, then you had to join in the war to help protect your ally.
Imperialism: European conquest of Africa
Causes of WWI - Imperialism is when a country takes over new lands or countries and makes them subject to their rule. As you can see on the previous slide, many European countries were competing to own territories in Africa. The amount of lands 'owned' by Britain and France increased the rivalry with Germany who had entered the scramble to acquire colonies late and only had small areas of Africa. Therefore, the Germans knew that a victory in war over Britain and France would lead to Germany taking African territories away from Britain and France. This was a strong motivation for the Germans.
Causes of WWI - Nationalism means being a strong supporter of the rights and interests of one's country. Nationalism also means the belief that your country’s system of government and values are superior to all others. During this period, nationalist feelings ran high as the countries of Europe sought to restructure themselves. Much of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria Hungary but instead be part of Serbia. In this way, nationalism led directly to the War. But in a more general way, the nationalism of the various countries throughout Europe contributed not only to the beginning but the extension of the war in Europe. Each country tried to prove their dominance and power.
Allied Powers: Central Powers: Germany Great Britain France Austria-Hungary World War I Russia Ottoman Empire Italy
- Slides: 10