■ Essential Question:

–What caused World War I?

■ Warm Up Question:
 From 1914 to 1919, World War I erupted in Europe

■ Text

What caused World War I?

This “Great War” was the WWI was a global war
largest, most destructive that altered the course
war the world had yet seen of the 20th century
 From 1870 to 1914, a number of developments
gradually increased tensions among the European
powers that led to the outbreak of World War I

The

MILITARISM
ALLIANCES
IMPERIALISM
NATIONALISM
causes of World War I
 MILITARISM
The Industrial Revolution Europeans believed that
led to large, advanced to be great, nations had
militaries in Europe to have strong militaries
As a result, an arms race began among European
nations, especially between Britain & Germany
Nations glorified
military power &
kept an army
prepared for war
(called militarism)
Having a strong
army increased
patriotism among
citizens
 IMPERIALISM
Germany &
European England
nations Germany,
competed fiercely for
France almost colonies in Africa & Asia
& France England, Russia
went to warfor colonies
Competition argued over argued over
threepushed
often times Europeans
rights to the building a
over
to Morocco
the brink of warSudan railroad in India
This competition increased
European rivalry & mistrust
 ALLIANCES
Growing
Germany,rivalries
Italy, &among nations
England,ledFrance,
to the
formation of two
Austria-Hungary military&alliances
made that
Russia formed
threatened to draw
up the Triple European
Alliance thenations into war
Triple Entente
 NATIONALISM
Rivalries due to militarism European rivals tried to
& imperialism increased maintain a balance of
nationalism among power while also trying to
European powers overpower each other

“European
British propaganda poster, 1897 Balance of Power,
Austrian 1914”poster, 1900
national
 NATIONALISM
No region was more While nationalism unified
The Balkans became a
tense in the years people
“powderin the powerful
keg” waiting
before World War I nations, it was dividing people
than the Balkans infor a spark toempires
weakening blow up
Serbia, Greece, Albania,
Bulgaria, & Romania
broke from the
Ottoman Empire to
create new nations
Slavic people in Serbia
wanted to unify all Slavs
but Austria-Hungary
opposed giving up the
largely Slavic territories
Bosnia & Herzegovina
 The Outbreak of World War I
Serbians vowed to On June 28, 1914, the Austro-
take Bosnia & Hungarian Archduke Franz
Herzegovina from Ferdinand & his wife were
Austria-Hungary assassinated by a Serbian terrorist

The assassin Gavrilo Princip

 The Outbreak of World War I
On July 23, Austria-Hungary
issued an ultimatum to Serbia:
turn over conspirators & allow
an investigation…OR…go to war
When Serbia balked at some of
the terms, Austria-Hungary
declared war on June 28, 1914
Russia had a large
population of Slavs &
was an ally of Serbia;
Russia moved troops to
the Austrian border
These events set off a
chain reaction that
started World War I
 World
Austria-Hungary On War 14,Begins
August 1914, England
On August
On August 1, 1914,
3,declared
1914,
declared
Italy
Germany war
backed on out
declared Russia
Serbia
of
waritswarmobilized
on for
Germany war
&
Germany
& itson
agreement declared
ally Russia
with war to …and
protect joined
Serbia
Austria-Hungary
Germany
on Russia
France the Allies
& Austria-Hungary…

On July 28,1914, Serbia

declined the ultimatum
World War I had begun
 During the war Germany & Austria-Hungary
became the Central Powers; They were joined
by Bulgaria & the Ottoman Empire

The members of the Triple Entente

became known as the Allied Powers
and eventually were joined by…
…many nations throughout the world