The Great War 1914 1918 In Europe military

The Great War 1914 -1918 • In Europe, military buildup, nationalistic feelings, and rival alliances set the stage for a continental war

Militarism • Policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war – Having a large, strong standing army made citizens feel patriotic – Others were frightened by the potential disturbance of peace

Militarism cont. • ~ European nations believed to be truly great, they needed a powerful military, leading to the rise of a dangerous European arms race… • by 1914→ all powers had large standing armies – EXCEPT Great Britain • Military experts stressed the importance of being able to quickly organize and move troops in case of war – Generals in each country developed highly detailed plans for such mobilization

ALLIANCES • Growing rivalries and mistrust had led to the creation of several military alliances among Great Powers • Designed to keep peace in Europe→ instead it helped push the continent into war

1. The Alliance System Triple Entente: Triple Alliance:

Alliance System • Serbian assassins kill Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Austro-Hungarian thrown) • Austria-Hungry declares war on Serbia • Russia (allied with Serbia) declares war on Austria-Hungry • Germany (allied with Austria-Hungry) declares war on Russia first, then France • When German troops cross Belgium to get to France, Great Britain (allied with Belgium) declares war on Germany

Nationalism • Nationalism→ deep devotion to one’s nation; can serve as a unifying force within a country • Can also cause intense competition among nations, with each seeking to overpower the other • France: longed to regain its position as Europe’s leading power; wanted to recover provinces lost to Germany in Franco-Prussian War 1870 (Alsace & Lorraine) • Germany: Proud of empire’s new military & industrial might

Nationalism • Russia: Russian duty to lead & defend all Slavs • Balkans: Rising nationalism in multinational empires (Austria-Hungary & Ottoman Empire) “Balkan Powder Keg” • Serbia- hoped to absorb Slavic population on the Balkan Peninsula-Russia supported • Austria-Hungary→ opposed it, fearing that efforts to form a Slavic state would stir rebellion amongst its own Slavic population

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914 The “Powder Keg” of Europe

Imperialism • ~ European powers continued to compete for colonization in Africa and Asia… • Push for imperialism often pushed European nations to the brink or war – sense of rivalry and mistrust of one another continued to deepen

European Imperialism in Africa

ASSASSINATION • A Shot Rings Throughout Europe: • ~ Amidst all this turmoil in Europe, Archduke Franz Ferdinand his wife, Sophie, visit Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia to inspect army maneuvers… • June 28, 1914→ after escaping an attempt on their life through a bomb…the couple can’t escape death twice and were shot dead • Gavrilo Princip→ 19 -year old Serbian assassin • Member of the Black Hand→ secret society committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule

The Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassin: Gavrilo Princip

Who’s To Blame?

• *The countries of Europe followed through on their pledges to support one another. As a result, nearly all of Europe soon joined what would be the largest, most destructive war the world has seen yet.