Causes of WWI

Nota:

• • an acronym to remember for the causes of WWI : MAIN - Militarism - Alliances - Imperialism - Nationalism

1. Militarism
   1. military power is viewed as national prestige
   2. glorification of war
   3. social Darwinism
      1. William II envies the British navy and begins building his own
   4. arms race b/w Great Britain & Germany
   5. family rivalries: influential military leaders
2. Alliances
   1. decline of Bismarkian alliances
   2. Russia agrees w/ Slavic states
   3. Allies
      1. Great Britain
      2. France
      3. Russia
      4. United States (joins later)
   4. Central Powers
      1. Germany
      2. Austria-Hungary
      3. Ottoman Empire
      4. Japan (joins later)
3. Imperialism
   1. Great Britain increasingly becomes concerned with Germany
      1. competition for colonies
   2. economic rivalries b/w Great Britain, Germany, France
   3. Britain and France desire to contain German territorial claims in Africa
4. Nationalism
   1. France wants revenge against Germany
      1. France wants Alsace-Lorainne (territory) back
   2. Germany's pride in their military power rises
   3. pan-Slavism in Eastern Europe
      1. Serbian desire to create a Southern Slavic state
      2. Serbia wants to unite Slavs in the Balkans
      3. Serbia becomes a new country - strong nationalism