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Aim: What was the “spark” that actually started World War I?

Aim: What was the “spark” that actually started World War I?. March 19, 2013. Enter Great Britain. Fearing the power of Germany, Britain starts entering alliances and agreements for its own protection.

dara-williams
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Aim: What was the “spark” that actually started World War I?

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  1. Aim: What was the “spark” that actually started World War I? March 19, 2013

  2. Enter Great Britain • Fearing the power of Germany, Britain starts entering alliances and agreements for its own protection. • Improves relations with the U.S., signs an alliance with Japan (1902), allied with France in the Anglo-French Entente of 1904. • In 1907, Russia seeks closer ties to Britain and signs the Anglo-Russian Agreement. This paves the way for the Triple Entente, a full alliance between Britain, France and Russia. • Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) vs. Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia).

  3. By 1914, all the major nations of Europe have a reason for wanting war: • France: Wants to get revenge on Germany for the Franco-Prussian War, take back Alsace and Lorraine. • Germany: Paranoid that the Triple Entente nations are trying to encircle Germany and block its development as a world power. Winning a war would demonstrate Germany’s status and power • Great Britain: Terrified that Germany was going to use its growing industrial and naval power to dominate all of Europe. • All three of these nations want war to distract people from domestic conflicts (Britain is dealing with civil war in Ireland and a radical women’s suffrage movement; Germany is worried that the Socialist victory in the 1912 parliamentary elections would lead to more class conflict).

  4. By 1914, all the major nations of Europe have a reason for wanting war: • Austria-Hungary: Wished to use the war to stop the growing nationalism of ethnic groups within the Empire (particularly the Serbians). If Austria-Hungary can’t do this, their empire is finished. • Russia: Wants war so they can unite an increasingly discontented and rebellious population.

  5. Critical Thinking Question • Europe had not had a major conflict since the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Why do you think this made the major European countries more likely to go to war with each other?

  6. “Spark” of World War I • Conflict in the Balkans • Serbia is an independent nation of Slavic people with a strong sense of nationalism. Serbia wants to take over Bosnia and Herzgovina, which also had large Slavic populations. Problem is, B & H are controlled by Austria-Hungry! • Russia (also a Slavic country) supports Serbia. Austria-Hungry is backed up by Germany. • “Powder keg” of Europe: Two wars occur in this region in the 1910s.

  7. “Spark” of World War I • On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie are visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. They are murdered by GavriloPrincip, a Serbian who wants to rid Bosnia of Austrian rule. • War begins because of the alliances • Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28 to get back at them for killing the Archduke • Russia declared war on Austria-Hungry to help Serbia. • Austria-Hungary’s allies (Germany, Italy) and Russia’s ally, (France) now prepare to go to war with each other. Great Britain does not commit right away.

  8. German Strategy • Germany needs a plan to win a two-front war against France in the west, Russia in the east.  • Germans come up with the Schlieffen Plan: Attack France in the west first by launching a lightning attack through neutral Belgium, and knock them out of the war quickly. Then, move all the troops back east to fight against Russia.

  9. German Strategy • Schlieffen Plan backfires. Germany invades Belgium on August 3. Britain is disgusted by German aggression and declares war on them the next day. • By September of 1914, German soldiers were on the verge of conquering Paris. However, the French turn the Germans back at the Battle of the Marne. Germany is now going to have to fight a long war on two fronts with Britain, France and Russia.

  10. The Sides in World War I (1914-1918) • Central Powers (originally the Triple Alliance) • Germany • Austria-Hungary • Ottoman Empire • Italy (1914-1915, then they switch sides) • Allied Powers (originally the Triple Entente) • Great Britain • France • Russia (drops out in 1917 because of the Russian Revolution) • Italy (join in 1915) • United States (join in 1917)

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