Causes of WW1

Causes of WW1

1. Alliance Systems

   • Many alliances between countries
   • Britain & Australia
   • By 1914, all the major powers were linked by an alliance system
   • Made it more likely a war would start
   • Relationships or friendships based on shared interest

2. The Naval Race

   • The belief that nations are entitled to a strong army
   • Nations began to compete with each other
   • Trying to get stronger, better armies
   • Building new army technologies & weapons
   • Germany competing with the UK to build battleships
   • Competing to out-do each other
     • Made other nations nervous

3. 19th Century Imperialism

   • The policy of expanding a countries territories
     • Though diplomacy or force
   • All the great powers competed to expand their empire
   • British feared Germany's movements in Africa
   • Large powers took over Africa

4. Nationalism

   • Nations wanted to assert their power & independence
   • In Europe slavs, aided by Serbia & Russia wanted to be free of Austrian Rule
   • Desire for a country to receive political independence
   • Everyone wanted to be independent suddenly and have power of their own

5. Assassination

   • Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
     • Shot by the black hand
       • First attacked with bomb that failed
     • While at a sandwich shop
     • In Sarajevo, Bosnia trying to take over Bosnia
     • Gavel Principe shot the Archduke and his wife
   • Key event in starting the war
   • Austrians blamed Serbia for supporting terrorists
   • Heir to the Austrian throne
   • June 2, 1914

6. Sources

   • https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/WWIchartX.svg/2000px-WWIchartX.svg.png
   • Shows the alliances in WW1
   • Book: Allan, Tony. The Causes Of World War I. Chicago, Ill.: Heinemann Library, 2003. Print.
   • Shows Franz Ferninad and his wife in Sarajevo, just before they got shot.
     • http://www.worldwar1.nl/1914-1918/cityhallsarajevo.jpg

7. The Unification of Germany

   • Made up of smaller states and largely a feudal society
   • After the war in 1870 Prussia's leader proclaimed emperor of Germany
   • Experienced prosperity & rapid development
   • Rapid industrialisation
   • Increased Economic output
   • Britain were threatened

8. German invasion of Belgium

   • Part of the Schleiffen Plan
   • Germany planned to enter France via Belgium
     • Belgium refused
   • Germans asked Belgium's permission but were refused
     • Britain was obliged to help Belgium
       • Britain declared war on Germany

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