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World War I

World War I. Lecture #1: The Outbreak. Assassination at Sarajevo. Happened because of nationalistic tensions in the Balkan region of Europe The Serbs , an ethnic group, had been under control of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Serbs considered Austria-Hungary an Imperial Power.

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World War I

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  1. World War I Lecture #1: The Outbreak

  2. Assassination at Sarajevo • Happened because of nationalistic tensions in the Balkan region of Europe • The Serbs, an ethnic group, had been under control of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. • Serbs considered Austria-Hungary an Imperial Power

  3. Assassination at Sarajevo • The Balkans were considered the “Powder Keg” of Europe because of the Nationalistic Tension • When the Serbs learned that Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia (territory of A-H) tensions increased even more.

  4. Assassination at Sarajevo • A Serbian Terrorist Group called the “Black Hand” decided to take action against the archduke’s visit. • On June 28, 1914, Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie rode through Sarajevo in an open car. A bomb ignited but missed. • Later that day, the car set out again and a member of the Black Hand fired two shots killing both Francis and Sophie. • This is known as the start of World War I.

  5. The Road to War • The next phase was escalated because of the system of alliances • A-H saw the incident as an excuse to end Serbian nationalism and independence for good • A-H sent Serbia a harsh Ultimatuum, Serbia must end all anti-Austrian aggression and punish the conspirators who killed the archduke • Serbia agreed to some, but not all. • A-H declared war on Serbia on July 28th, 1914

  6. The Road to War • Word spread across Europe about the Balkan Crisis • The Kaiser of Germany assured A-H that Germany would support A-H with a “Blank Check” • Serbia asked Russia for help, another slavic ethnicity. Russia began to mobilize its military • Germany responded by declaring war on Russia • Russia asked France for help against Germany

  7. The Road to War • France, seeking revenge for the Franco-Prussian War (a war lost to Germany), decided to back Russia • Germany declared war on France • By August 1914, the battle lines in Europe had been drawn.

  8. Connecting the Causes • How could one assassination lead to an all out World War of epic proportions in just a few weeks? • Alliance System- each country had a commitment to the other once war was declared • Nationalism- Russia and Serbia saw A-H as oppressors of Slavic peoples • Imperialism- each country had to maintain and defend their power in the world • Militarism- once the guns were fired, it was impossible to stop

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