World History 3201

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World History 3201

• Unit 1 World War I

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Unit 1 World War I (1914-1918)

• The sources of tension that triggered outbreak of
  World War I
• Causes
• Major events
• Role of science and technology
• Process ending World War I

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The sources of tension that triggered outbreak of
World War I

• No one event or person caused the Great War.
  There were many factors that contributed to
  mobilization of the belligerents.
• Tension grew between the leading nations of
  Europe, as a result of growing strain placed upon
  their relationship with each other.
• There were at least four underlying causes of the
  first World War.

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Four Underlying Causes of WWI

• 1. Nationalism
• 2. Economic Rivalry (imperialism)
• 3. The Arms Race
• 4. The Alliance System

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Nationalism

• Nationalism is an intense sense of loyalty and
  pride in ones nation (beyond patriotism).
• At the start of the 20th century many countries
  such as Germany, Britain, Russia and France had
  an aggressive sense of their own superiority and
  destiny that fuelled the outbreak of war.

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Political Nationalism

• Alsace-Lorraine (Political Nationalism) two
  French provinces taken by Germany after the
  Frances humiliating defeat of the Franco-Prussian
  War of 1871.
• This region bordered France and Germany, and was
  very valuable.
• German possession of this region was a source of
  French resentment and became the focus of French
  Nationalism and Anti-German sentiment.

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Economic Nationalism

• Germany only became a unified state after the
  Franco-Prussian War (1871)
• France in their defeat ceded Alsace-Lorraine.
• Germany boomed after unification, wanting
  colonies for resources to maintain its thriving
  economy and to compete with other imperialistic
  powers
• Britain, France, Belgium had long maintained
  colonies. Germany now wanted their own empire and
  to become a major power.

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Ethnic Nationalism

• Austria-Hungary was a country where many
  different groups lived together.
• Many of these groups had different religions,
  languages and cultural traditions. Control was
  maintained and controlled as a part of the
  Ottoman Empire, ruled by the Hapsburg Dynasty.
• Many of these groups were not happy with this
  type of control and wanted to have their own
  autonomy (Croats, Poles, Slovaks, Serbs, Czechs)
• Russia took an interest in this region and began
  to interfere in a quest to unite the Slavic
  people in the region (Pan-Slavism).

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Britain (Pax Brittania)

• World power that had a vast empire and a powerful
  armed forces, particularly its navy.
• Led by a sense of duty to the Monarchy.
• Britains international interests and power helped
  maintain a period of relative peace prior to WWI.
• They became suspicious of up and coming rivals
  like Germany and Japan/

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Economic Rivalry

• Nations such as Britain, France and Germany
  aggressively competed for world markets and
  resources.
• Imperialistic activities in parts of Africa and
  Asia created tension between these competing
  countries.
• Their rivalries often came close to violence in
  continents such as Africa.

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The Arms Race

• Due to imperialistic expansion, nations needed a
  means to protect their interests.
• Most nations were actively building up their
  military and even began drawing up detailed plans
  for a future war. (Germanys Schlieffen Plan,
  and Frances Plan 17)
• England and Germany engaged in a deadly naval
  race. (German began to challenge Englands Naval
  supremacy.)

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The Alliance System

• Most of the large nations in Europe were members
  of two powerful alliances the Triple Entente
  (Britain, France and Russia) and the Triple
  Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy).
• These alliances also involved the overseas
  empires such as those of Britain and France.
• The results of these alliances was to increase
  tension and suspicion and turn a disagreement
  between two nations into a full blown war.

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Ultimatum

• a final demand or statement of terms, the
  rejection of which will result in retaliation, a
  breakdown in relations or a declaration of war.