Causes of the First World War

Causes of the First World War

1. The Sarajevo Assasination

   • The killing of the archduke Franz Ferdinand was a cause of the first world war.
     • The Austro-Hungarian archduke was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip who was a known member of the Serbian terrorist group, The Black Hand.
       • This caused major conflict between the two countries as the Austro-Hunagarian government believed the Serbian were behind the murder and so they wanted to take action.

2. The Arms Race

   • The arms race was a cause of the first world war.
     • In the early twentieth century Britain had the largest navy in the world. During this period, travelling around the world could only be done by boat and so Britain believed their colonies to be strong. However, Germany became jealous and so it quickly built up a navy and also built the British made ship, Dreadnoughts.
       • This competitiveness fueled tension between the two countries as they competed for the best navy and so it increased the likelihood of war.

3. The Scramble for Africa

   • The scramble for Africa was a cause of the first world war.
     • Many European countries desired the largest empire and so they targeted African countries in which to settle. The French and the Germans argued over the control of Morocco in 1906 and 1911.
       • This would have brought the powers into conflict as they all wanted the same thing and so they would dispute over each countries right to each African country.

4. Alliances

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