Paper 2: Causes, Practices

and Effects of Wars

World War I:
Causes
■ No war is inevitable until it breaks
out. - A. J. P. Taylor
 Key Questions:
■ What were the main long-term
causes of the war?
■ What were the main short term
causes of the war?
■ What were the economic, political,
ideological, and territorial causes?
 Overview:
■ Rivalry developed among the ‘Great Powers’ of
Europe- competed to expand their colonial
possessions
■ From 1870 arms race developed; countries
increasing their armies
■ Growth of nationalism accompanied by an upsurge in
militarization
■ System of alliances developed
■ Break up of Ottoman Empire destabilized the Balkans
■ Final Trigger: assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand in Sarajevo
 Timeline:
1871 – A United German Empire proclaimed after war with
France; Germany takes Alsace-Lorraine from France
1879- Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary
1882 – Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and
Italy
1894 – Franco-Russian Alliance
1898 – First German naval law; construction of fleet challenges
Britain
1904 – Anglo-French colonial entente
1905 – First Moroccan Crisis
1907 – Anglo –Russian entente
1908 – Bosnian crisis
1911 – Second Moroccan crisis (Agadir crisis)
1912-13 – Balkan Wars
1914 – Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
 From 1914 to 1919, World War I erupted in Europe

■ Text

What caused World War I?

This “Great War” was the WWI was a global war
largest, most destructive that altered the course
war the world had yet seen of the 20th century
Long Term Causes of
WWI
 From 1870 to 1914, a number of developments
gradually increased tensions among the European
powers that led to the outbreak of World War I

The

MILITARISM
ALLIANCES
IMPERIALISM
NATIONALISM
causes of World War I
 MILITARISM
The Industrial Revolution led to Europeans believed that
large, advanced militaries in to be great, nations had
Europe/ technological advances
to have strong militaries
As a result, an arms race began among European nations,
especially between Britain & Germany (naval race)

Nations glorified military

power & kept an army
prepared for war (called
militarism)
Mobilization- became an
important concept

Having a strong army

increased patriotism
among citizens/
military parades
popular
 The naval strength of the powers in 1914

Country Personnel Large Tonnage

Naval Vessels

Russia 54,000 4 328,000

France 68,000 10 731,000
Britain 209,000 29 2,205,000
TOTAL 331,000 43 3,264,000
Germany 79,000 17 1,019,000
Austria-Hungary 16,000 3 249,000
TOTAL 95,000 20 1,268,000
Source: Ferguson 1999 p 85
 Imperialism and Colonial Expansion
■ Imperialism is when a country takes over
new lands or countries and makes them
subject to their rule.
■ By 1900 the British Empire extended over
five continents and France had control of
large areas of Africa. With the rise of
industrialism countries needed new
markets.
■ The amount of lands 'owned' by Britain
and France increased the rivalry with
Germany who had entered the scramble
to acquire colonies late and only had
small areas of Africa. 
 Imperialism
Moroccan Crisis
■ Imperialist rivalry had grown •In 1904 Morocco had been
more intense with the "new given to France by Britain, but
imperialism" of the late 19th the Moroccans wanted their
and early 20th cent. independence.
■ Particularly unsettling was the •In 1905, Germany announced
policy of Germany. her support for Moroccan
independence.
■ It embarked late but • War was narrowly avoided by a
aggressively on colonial conference which allowed
expansion under Emperor France to retain possession of
William II came into conflict Morocco.
with France over Morocco , and•In 1911, the Germans were
seemed to threaten Great again protesting against French
Britain by its rapid naval possession of Morocco.
expansion. •Britain supported France and
Germany was persuaded to back
down for part of French Congo.
 IMPERIALISM
Germany & European
France
almost went to war
nations
England Germany,
competed fiercely for
& France
colonies in argued & Asia
Africa
three times over over rights to the England, Russia
Morocco 1905,1911-
Competition for Sudan – over
colonies argued over
Germany’s attempts
often pushed
to block
ownership of the
France’s Europeans building a
southern Nile
control of Morocco
to the brink of war railroad in India
This competition increased
European rivalry & mistrust
 Alliances
■ An alliance is an agreement made between
two or more countries to give each other help
if it is needed. When an alliance is signed,
those countries become known as Allies.
■ A number of alliances had been signed by
countries between the years 1879 and 1914.
These were important because they meant
that some countries had no option but to
declare war if one of their allies. declared war
first
 Formation of the Triple Entente
■ In 1882 Germany, Austria Hungary and Italy formed the
Triple Alliance. The three countries agreed to support
each other if attacked by either France or Russia.
■ France felt threatened by this alliance. Britain was also
concerned by the growth in the Germany Navy and in
1904 the two countries signed the Entente Cordiale
(friendly understanding). The objective of the alliance
was to encourage co-operation against the perceived
threat of Germany.
■ Three years later, Russia who feared the growth in the
Germany Army, joined Britain & France to form the
Triple Entente.
■ The Russian government was also concerned about the
possibility of Austria Hungary increasing the size of its
empire. It therefore made promises to help Serbia if it
was attacked by members of the Triple Alliance
 ALLIANCES
Germany,
Growing Italy, &among nations
rivalries England,ledFrance,
to the
formation of two
Austria-Hungary military&alliances
made that
Russia formed
threatened to draw
up the Triple European
Alliance thenations into war
Triple Entente
 1879 1881 1882
The Dual Alliance Austro-Serbian Alliance The Triple Alliance

                                                                                                                       

Germany and Austria- Austria-Hungary made an  Germany and Austria-
Hungary made an alliance alliance with Serbia to stop Hungary made an alliance
to protect themselves from Russia gaining control of with Italy to stop Italy from
Russia Serbia taking sides with Russia

 
1914 1894
Triple Entente (no Franco-Russian Alliance
separate peace)

                                     
                                     
 Russia formed an alliance
Britain, Russia and France                                      with France to protect
agreed not to sign for peace herself against Germany
separately. and Austria-Hungary
                                             
    

1907
1904
Triple Entente 1907
Entente Cordiale
Anglo-Russian Entente
                                        
                                        
                                        
 This was made between
This was an agreement, but
Russia, France and Britain This was an agreement
not a formal alliance,
to counter the increasing between Britain and Russia
between France and Britain.
threat from Germany.
 NATIONALISM
Rivalries due to militarism & imperialism • Competition for
increased nationalism among Eu. powers materials and markets
European rivals tried to maintain a • Territorial disputes -
balance of power while also trying to France, for example,
overpower each other had never gotten over
the loss of Alsace-
Lorraine to Germany in
the Franco-Prussian
War (1870).
• Austria-Hungary and
Russia both tried to
dominate in the
Balkans,
• Balkans - the intense
nationalism of Serbs,
Bulgarians, Romanians,
etc. led to demands for
“European Balance
British propaganda of1897
poster, Power, 1914”
 NATIONALISM
No region was more While nationalism unified
tense in the years people in the powerful
before World War I nations, it was dividing people
than the Balkans in weakening empires
Serbia, Greece, Albania,
Bulgaria, & Romania
broke from the
Ottoman Empire to
create new nations
Slavic people in Serbia
wanted to unify all Slavs
but Austria-Hungary
opposed giving up the
largely Slavic territories The Balkans became a
Bosnia & Herzegovina “powder keg” waiting
 Nationalism
■ In 1908, Austria annexed, or took over, Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
■ These were two Balkan areas with large Slavic
populations.
■ Serbian leaders, who had sought to rule these
provinces, were outraged.
■ In the years that followed, tensions between Serbia
and Austria steadily rose. The Serbs continually
vowed to take Bosnia and Herzegovina away from
Austria.
■ In response, Austria-Hungary vowed to crush any
Serbian effort to undermine its authority in the
Balkans
Short Term Causes of
World War I
 Bosnian Crisis
■ In 1908, Austria-Hungary took over the former Turkish
province of Bosnia.
■ This angered Serbians who felt the province should be
theirs. Serbia threatened Austria-Hungary with war,
Russia, allied to Serbia, mobilized its forces. Germany,
allied to Austria-Hungary mobilized its forces and
prepared to threaten Russia. War was avoided when
Russia backed down.
■ There was, however, war in the Balkans between 1911
and 1912 (The Balkan Wars) when the Balkan states
drove Turkey out of the area. The states then fought each
other over which area should belong to which state.
■ Austria-Hungary then intervened and forced Serbia to
give up some of its acquisitions. Tension between Serbia
and Austria-Hungary was high.
 The Black Hand
■ In May 1911, ten men in Serbia
formed the Black Hand Secret
Society.
■ The main objective of the Black
Hand was the creation, by means
of violence, of a Greater Serbia.
■ Its stated aim was: "To realize
the national ideal, the unification
of all Serbs. This organization
prefers terrorist action to cultural
activities; it will therefore remain
secret.“
■ By 1914 there were around 2,500
members of the Black Hand.
 The Outbreak of World War I
Serbians vowed to On June 28, 1914, the Austro-
take Bosnia & Hungarian Archduke Franz
Herzegovina from Ferdinand & his wife were
Austria-Hungary assassinated by a Serbian terrorist

The assassin Gavrilo Princip

Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophia
 The Outbreak of World War I
On July 23, Austria-Hungary
issued an ultimatum to Serbia:
turn over conspirators & allow
an investigation…OR…go to war
When Serbia balked at some of
the terms, Austria-Hungary
declared war on July 28, 1914
Russia had a large
population of Slavs &
was an ally of Serbia;
Russia moved troops to
the Austrian border
These events set off a
chain reaction that
started World War I
On July 28,1914, Serbia
declined the ultimatum
Russia mobilized for war to
protect Serbia
On August 1, 1914,
Germany declared war on
Russia
On August 3, 1914, Germany
declared war on France
On August 4, 1914, England declared war on
Germany & Austria-Hungary
World War
Austria-Hungary 1 Begins
declared
war on Serbia & its ally
Russia
Italy backed out of its agreement with
…
Germany & Austria-Hungary …and join
ed t h e Al
World War I had begun
 The Outbreak – details
■ On July 23, assured by unconditional ('carte blanche') support
of the Germans should war break out, it (Austria Hungary)
sent an ULTIMATUM to Serbia containing many demands,
among them that Austrian agents would be allowed to take
part in the investigation, and in general holding Serbia
responsible for the assassination.
■ The Serbian government accepted all the terms, except that
of the participation of the Austrian agents in the inquiry,
which it saw as a violation of its sovereignty. Emboldened by
last minute Russian support, Serbia rejected the ultimatum.
■ Austria-Hungary, in turn, rejected the Serbian reply on July
26. Breaking diplomatic relations, the Austro-Hungarian
Empire declared war on Serbia on July 28, proceeding to
bombard Belgrade on July 29. On July 30 Austria-Hungary and
Russia both ordered general mobilization of their armies.
■ The Germans, having pledged their support to Austria-Hungary, sent
Russia an ultimatum to stop mobilization within 12 hours on July 31.
■ On August 1, with the ultimatum expired, the German ambassador to
Russia formally declared war.
■ On August 2 Germany occupied Luxembourg, as a preliminary step to
the invasion of Belgium and the Schlieffen Plan (i.e. Germany had
planned to attack France first according to the plan, and then Russia,
which had already gone wrong) the same day yet another ultimatum
was delivered to Belgium, requesting free passage for the German army
on the way to France.
■ The Belgians refused. At the very last moment, the Kaiser Wilhelm II
asked Moltke, the German Chief of General Staff, to cancel the invasion
of France in the hope this would keep Britain out of the war.
■ Moltke, horrified by the prospect of the utter ruin of the Schlieffen Plan,
refused on the grounds that it would be impossible to change the rail
schedule- "once settled, it cannot be altered".
■ On August 3 Germany declared war on France, and on August 4 invaded
Belgium. This act, violating Belgian neutrality to which Germany, France,
and Britain were all committed to guarantee, gave Britain, which up to
that point had yet to choose a side in the conflict, a reason to declare
war on Germany on August 4.
 During the war Germany & Austria-Hungary
became the Central Powers; They were joined
by Bulgaria & the Ottoman Empire

The members of the Triple Entente

became known as the Allied Powers
and eventually were joined by…
…many nations throughout the world
 What were the
economic, political,
ideological and territorial
causes?
 Discussion Evaluation

Economic - Lenin: war inevitable outcome of capitalism and - Imperial conflicts existed- but
imperialism some of the conflicting
- Germany wanted territorial expansion & built a fleet countries ended up as allies
for this - German colonies did not
- Economic expansion led to expansion in cause much conflict
armaments - Imperialism doesn’t explain
- Economic decline of Austria-Hungary – may have the British policy, or later
made it more determined not to lose control in the American entrance into the
Balkans war
Political - Growing nationalism - Huge enthusiasm for war-
- Britain – supports France not to look weak encouraged politicians to risk
- AH – had to take strong stand against Serbia military solutions
- Germany concerned with rise of socialism - Importance of international
- International politics; system of alliances alliances and agreements;
statesmen felt obligation to
support their allies
- Yet most agreements were
defensive and did not commit
countries to support

Territorial - Loss of Alsace-Lorraine by France in 1871 – - Italy and Japan eager to use
historic, included Strasbourg, pride- recovery major war to gain territory; France
aim wanted to recover Alsace-
- AH – felt threat to Balkan territory Lorraine
- Italy – Italia irredenta - Britain – had enough territory
- Germany and Austria/dealing
with threat of encirclement and