The Causes of WW1 TypePad第一次世界大战的原因Typepad.pptVIP

Bellringer #1 Why was war an ever present possibility in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century? How did the creation of military plans lead the nations of Europe in WWI? How did international alliances help to draw nations in WWI? The Causes of WW1 Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism Significant individuals Militarism 1. Germany was competing with the UK to build battleships. The British feared an attack on their Empire. Brinkmanship-the practice of threatening to go to war to achieve one’s goals. Militarism 2. Germany was competing with Russia and France to expand their armies: 1880 1914 Germany 1.3m 5.0m France 0.73m 4.0m Russia 0.40m 1.2m 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 started, the alliances made it more likely to spread. WHY??? Imperialism All the great powers were competing for colonies / territory. The British feared Germany in Africa. The Austrians feared Serbia / Russia in the Balkans Nationalism This was an age when all nations wanted to assert their power and independence. In Europe Slavs, aided by Serbia and Russia, wanted to be free of Austrian rule. 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 Significant Individuals 2 Count Berchtold Austrian Prime Minister. During the July Crisis, decided on a very tough ultimatum for Serbia Significant Individuals 3 Bethmann Hollweg German Prime Minister Gave very strong support to Austria during the July crisis while Kaiser was cruising on his yacht The Crisis 1. 28 June 1914 Heir to Austrian throne Franz Ferdinand visits Sarajevo. Capital of Bosnia, recently grabbed by Austria. Hotbed of Slav nationalism The Crisis 2. “Black Hand” terrorists attack the Arch Duke Bomb attempt fails in morning Gavrilo Princip shoots Archduke and wife in the afternoon. Austrians blame