UNIT 2: LESSON 1

WORLD WAR 1 -
CAUSES
Learning Goals
■ By the end of today I will
– Understand the causes of world war 1
■ Success Criterial
– Explain the significance of each of the 4
major causes of World War 1
World War 1 Causes

■World War 1 had 4 M.A.I.N causes

– Militarism
– Alliances
– Imperialism
– Nationalism
 World War 1 Causes:
Militarism
■ Militarism
– = belief that a country’s army and navy are the primary means of
how nations resolve disagreements between each other
■ No air force back in 1914
– There were different ways countries tried to make their military
the strongest:
■ Spending money on improving land armies vs navies
■ Some countries tried to have the most men in their forces
– i.e. Triple Alliance had 3.7 million man army by 1914
■ Some countries tried to have the most advanced technologies
in their forces
■ i.e. Germany and Britain both tried to have a military edge on each
other by having the most powerful navy
– Britain developed a ship called ”dreadnought” (57 total)
– Germany also spent money to get “dreadnoughts”(37 total)
 World War 1 Causes:
Alliances
■ Alliance
– = an agreement made between 2+ countries
where each side/country promises to help each
other if needed
– Usually this involves financial or military
assistance
– When countries have an alliance they are
considered each others’ “allies”
■ Most countries in Europe had alliances with each
other
– Meaning if just one country attacked another
country most of Europe would be involved in
the war due to their Alliances
– Friends help defend each other
World War 1 Causes:
Alliances
■ Alliances of World War 1
– Triple Entente
■ France
■ United Kingdom
■ Russia
– Triple Alliance
■ Germany
■ Austria-Hungary,
■ Italy
 World War 1 Causes: Imperialism
■ Imperialism
– =desire to build an empire for your country
– Usually involves invading or taking land
owned by someone else and taking adding it
to your empire
■ By 1914 many European countries had conquered
‘less advanced’ nations in Africa, Asia and the
Americas
■ Major empires in 1914
– British Empire (controlled 5 parts of
world/25% of land in the world)
– French Empire
■ Germany was trying to build an empire to rival
Britain and France’s
– Meaning if an opportunity for war came
available Germany was interested
World War 1 Causes:
Nationalism
■ Nationalism
– = idea that people should have a deep love for their country
– i.e. willing to die for my country
■ In 1900’s many nations had created nationalism by
– Creating flags
– Creating national anthems
– Teaching children that their country is the best in the world
and that if it is ever threatened they should fight for it
■ Nationalism created dislike between countries that had history of
armed conflict
– i.e. France and Germany (Franco-Prussian War in 1871
where Germany seized control of Alsace-Lorraine from
France)
DIRECT EVENT CAUSING WORLD
WAR 1 EXPLAINED
■ Assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand (Heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary) by a Serbian
terrorist group called The Black Hand
■ Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the death of Ferdinand
– Took this opportunity to crush Serbian Nationalism
– Austria-Hungary (with Germany’s help) sent Serbia an ultimatum,
■ Ultimatum = demand by one government where another government must accept the
terms or face war
■ Austria-Hungary gave Serbia an ultimatum that said they must:
– Put down all nationalist hatred against Austria-Hungary
– Punish all those involved in the assassination plot
– Allow Austria-Hungary officials into Serbia to take down the Black Hand (the
terrorist group that killed Ferdinand)
World War 1 Causes: Alliances
■ Austria-Hungary gave Serbia an ultimatum that said they must:
– Put down all nationalist hatred against Austria-Hungary
– Punish all those involved in the assassination plot
– Allow Austria-Hungary officials into Serbia to take down the Black Hand (the
terrorist group that killed Ferdinand)
■ Austria-Hungary considered this a refusal of the ultimatum and as a result declared
war on and attacks Serbia on July 26, 1914
– Serbia is allied with Russia so Russia mobilizes their weapons and joins the war
– Russia also has alliances/friends who join the war to attack Austria-Hungary (i.e.
France)
■ Germany has an alliance with Austria-Hungary who help fight against countries helping
Serbia like Russia
■ A chain reaction occurs and this brings about a world war
FINAL EVENT
CAUSING WORLD
WAR 1 EXPLAINED

– Germany felt threatened that they

were in the middle of France and
Russia. They declared they must
stop mobilizing their weapons.
■ France and Russia did not
listen
■ Germany declared war on
Russia on August 1, 1914
■ Germany declared war on
France on August 2, 1914
FINAL EVENT
CAUSING WORLD
WAR 1 EXPLAINED
– France had strong borders to fight
off Germany from invading so
Germany decided to invage going
through Belgium
– Belgium was neutral
■ = will not help any side of war
– When Germany invaded Belgium
Britain declared war on Germany
as they signed a treaty (agreement)
that they would defend Belgium’s
neutrality