The MAIN Causes of WW1 The Long Term Causes M ilitarism A lliances I mperialism N ationalism S ignificant individuals By B. Hergott R.C.S.S.

The MAIN Causes of WW1

The Long Term Causes

•Militarism

•Alliances

•Imperialism

•Nationalism

•Significant individuals

By B. HergottR.C.S.S.

Militarism 1.

• Germany was competing in an arms race with Great Britain to build battleships.

• The British, dominant at sea for a long time, feared an attack on their Empire, of which Canada was a part

• Royal Canadian Navy was created 1910 – 350 men and two old cruisers donated by Britain, one for each coast

HMS Good Hope, sunk Nov. 1914

AT SEAMilitarism=preparation and eagerness for war

Militarism 2.

• Germany was competing with Russia and France to expand their armies, too

1880

1914

• Germany 1.3m 5.0m• France 0.73m 4.0m• Russia 0.40m 1.2m

ON THE GROUND

Alliances

• By 1914 all the major powers were linked by a system of alliances.

• The alliances made it more likely that a war would start.

• Once war began, the existence of alliances made war more likely to spread quickly.

Alliances=agreements that promise to help another country

Alliances

Triple Entente (Allies): Britain, France and Russia

Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy

Imperialism

• The British felt threatened by Germany’s expansion in Africa.

• The Austrians feared Serbia/ Russia in the Balkans

Imperialism = belief in the necessity of building up an Empire• All the great powers were competing for colonies/ territory as they tried to build up empires.

Imperialism is sarcastically dispalyed in this anti-German poster.

An anti-British poster showing the expanse of the British Empire.

Nationalism

• This was an age when many nations which were controlled by others really wanted to assert their power and independence.

• In Europe Slavs, aided by Serbia and Russia, wanted to be free of Austrian rule.

Serbia’s national flag

Nationalism= having pride in your country; willingness to defend it and the belief that it is destined for greatness

Significant Individuals 1.

• Kaiser Wilhelm II

• Built up German

army and navy

• Aggressive foreign policy

• Determined to make Germany a top nation.

• Distrusted by other powers

“Germany must have its place in the sun”“The world belongs to the strong.”

Significant Individuals 2

• Czar Nicholas II of Russia• Led massive but primitive Russian

empire weakened by corruption and influence of ‘Mad Monk’, Rasputin

• Russia embarrassed by losing Russo-Japanese War of 1905

• Russia seeks to redeem selves for 1905 loss – vow to protect Slavs of Eastern Europe from Austrian control

The Crisis 1. • 28 June, 1914• Heir to Austrian throne

Franz Ferdinand visits Sarajevo with wife Sophie.

• This was capital of Bosnia, recently gobbled up as part of Austrian Empire.

• Also a hotbed of Slav nationalists who want Austria out of their homeland

The Causes of WW1 The Short Term Cause

The Crisis 2.• “Black Hand” terrorists trained in Serbia

and seeking Slav independence attacked the Arch Duke while he travelled in an open car to the Sarajevo City Hall

Seal of the Black Hand group

•Cabrinovic’s bomb attempt fails in morning but injures passengers and spectators

•Gavrilo Princip shoots Archduke and wife outside Schiller’s Café in the afternoon.

•Austrians blame Serbia for training and supporting terrorists.

DOWNTOWN SARAJEVO

This is the original plaque of the exact location of the assassination. City Council removed it after the Bosnian War

The 1911 Graf und Stift Rois De Blougne tourer in which the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was riding at the time of his assassination.

Bullet Hole

Originally, historians believed this photo shows the arrest of Princip; instead it is more likely a German man who tried to stop an angry mob from hanging Princip.

Arch Duke and Duchess lie in state

The Crisis 3: Ultimatum

• Austrians, supported by Germany, send Serbia a tough ultimatum.

• Serbia agrees to all but two terms of the ultimatum.

• Russia mobilises her troops to support Serbia

• Germany demands that Russia stands her armies down.

• Germany declares war on Russia

“Demands must be put to Serbia that would be wholly impossible for them to accept …”

Why did Britain get involved?

• Britain had Ententes with France and Russia.

• Only “friendly agreements” but French and Russians given impression Britain would fight.

• The Schlieffen Plan

Sir Edward GreyBritish Foreign Secretary … “There’s some devilry going on in Berlin”

The Schlieffen Plan• Germany’s military

plan to defeat France and Russia.

• “Knock out blow” aimed at France first.

• Avoid French defences by invasion of Belgium.

• Germans thought Britain would not intervene.

Britain’s Reaction• 1838- UK had signed a

Treaty to protect Belgium.• Britain also scared of

Germany controlling Channel ports.

• Did not want Germany to defeat France and dominate Europe. Britain next?

• UK issued ultimatum to Germany to withdraw troops from Belgium. War declared August 4 1914

Canada’s Reaction

• When Britain declared war on Germany on Aug. 4, 1914, Canada and the rest of the British Empire were automatically at war, too--Canada pledged 25000 soldiers

• Former Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier stated, “Let the friends and foes of Britain know that there is in Canada but one mind and one heart, and that all Canadians stand behind the mother country, conscious and proud that she has engaged in this war to save civilization from the uncontrolled lust of conquest and power.”

• The Great War was under way – known as the “war to end all wars”

End