13.1 THE STAGE IS SET FOR WAR
Dec 14, 2015
AN UNEASY PEACE GRIPS EUROPE
• Europe had been at peace for nearly 30 years
• A whole generation had grown up ignorant to the horror of war, many believed war was a thing of the past
• Yet four factors arose to propel Europe into war
1. RISE OF NATIONALISM
• Nationalism-A deep devotion to one’s nation. Can lead people to feel their nation is better
than others
• Rivalries developed based on the competition for materials and markets
• Territorial disputes also played a role. Austria-Hungary and Russia were both trying to control the Balkans in Southwest Europe
2. IMPERIALISM
• European countries competed over colonies in Africa and Asia
• The quest for colonies nearly led to war many times
• As these countries continued to compete, their rivalry and mistrust deepened
3. THE GROWTH OF MILITARISM
• Militarism- The policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war
• Beginning in the 1890’s nationalism led to a European arms race
• Having a large and strong standing army made citizens feel patriotic
4. TANGLED ALLIANCES
• International rivalries lead to the creation of military alliances designed to keep peace
• Two great alliances existed• The Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy • The Triple Entente- Britain, France and Russia
• A dispute between any two rival nations could result in the entire continent going to war
ASSIGNMENT
• 1. Explain how each of the three factors listed led to rising tensions in Europe.
• 2. Why would military alliances have been created to keep peace?
• 3. Describe the territorial dispute between Russia and Austria-Hungary
• 4. How might a incident between any two members of the alliances lead to war?
CRISIS IN THE BALKANS
• The Balkan region was breaking away from the rule of the Ottoman Empire
• This area was a mix of ethnic groups and new nations sought to expand and unite members of these groups together
EUROPE’S POWDER KEG
• Serbia was a Balkan nation with a mainly Slavic population. They wanted to expand and unite all the Slavic people in the region
• Russia, also had a large Slavic population and supported Serbia
• Austria-Hungary did not support this action. They took control of Bosnia and Herzegovina which both had large Slavic populations
EUROPE’S POWDER KEG
• Serbia wanted to take this area away from Austria-Hungary, but A.H. was much more powerful and vowed to crush Serbia if they tried
• If war erupted between Austria-Hungary and Russia it would involve the two great alliances
A SHOT RINGS THROUGHOUT EUROPE
• The heir to the throne of A.H. visited Bosnia
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist who wanted to end A.H. rule
• Because he was a Serbian, A.H. demanded Serbia allow Austrian officials into Serbia to investigate
WAR BEGINS
• Serbia attempted to negotiate with Austria-Hungary over their demands
• A.H. refused to negotiate and declared war on Serbia
• In response Russia sent troops to the Austrian border. This set in motion the beginning of World War I
ASSIGNMENT
1. What single event led to the start of World War I?
2. Was the description of the Balkans as a “powder keg” accurate? Explain your answer
3. Do you think WWI was avoidable? Explain your answer
4. What was the source of conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary?
5. Why would a conflict between these two nations involve the rest of Europe?