6 Main causes of WW1

6 Main causes of WW1

1. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

   • Gavrilo Princip
     • Black Hand gang
   • Austria declares war on Serbia
     • Backed up by Germany
       • Invades Belgium
         • Schlieffen Plan
         • Britain backs up Belgium
           • Treaty of London
             • Belgium must remain a neutral country
       • Declares war on France
     • Gives them an ultimatum
       • Serbia claims they need more time
         • Austria threatens to take over Serbia
     • Serbia is backed up by Russia
       • Same race - Slavs

2. Alliances

   • 2 Alliances
     • Triple Entente
       • Russia
         • Weakened by Japan
         • 1907
       • France
         • Made an agreement in 1904 - Entente Cordiale (Friendly agreement)
       • Britain
     • Triple Alliance
       • Germany
         • Feared attack from Russia and France
           • Encirclement
           • Revenge attack
             • Alsace-Lorraine, 1870
       • Austria-Hungary
       • Italy
         • Wanted an empire

3. The Schlieffen Plan

   • Have to fight FR + RU at the same time - army split in 2, not as strong
   • Element of surprise
     • Invade France through Belgium
       • Britain helps Belgium
         • Treaty of London

4. Bosnian Crisis

   • Serbia wanted Bosnia
     • 3 million Serbs living there
       • Russia supported Serbia
         • Same race - Slavs
         • Called a conference
           • French did not want to be involved in a war with the Balkans
             • Britain did not want a war with Germany, protested against Austria-Hungary
           • Conference was in favour of Germany and Austria-Hungary
             • Russia was humiliated
               • Embarked on a massive military build-up
             • Serbia felt bitterly hostile to Austria-Hungary
             • Austro-German alliance became stronger

5. Moroccan Crises

   • Entente Cordiale
   • Anglo-French military conversations
   • Agadir Crisis
     • Gibraltar
       • Britain's main trading route
       • Britain thought Germany wanted a naval base, threatening Britain's navy
     • "The Panther"
       • Gunboat sent by Germany
         • Removed after deal with France
           • Germany gets 2 strips of the French congo
   • France wanted to annex Morocco
     • Independence of Morocco was supported by Germany
       • Conference - Algeciras
       • Wanted to be seen as a major power
         • Were defeated at the conference, Germany felt humiliated

6. Arms Race

   • Germany wanted an empire like Britains
   • Britain had the biggest navy and empire in the world
     • 3 Power standard
       • Navy has to be as big as the next 3 biggest navy's combined
   • Dreadnoughts produced in 1904
     • First made by Britiain
       • Germany started to build up their arms too