Causes of World War I: M.A.N.I.A.

Causes of World War I: M.A.N.I.A.

• Militarism: A belief in a strong military and the aggressive use of it. Countries invested heavily in their navies and armies.
• Alliances: Agreements between countries to support each other militarily. These created a chain reaction when conflict occurred.
• Nationalism: Intense pride in one's country, often leading to aggressive competition with other nations. Ethnic groups within empires wanted their own nations.
• Imperialism: The policy of expanding a country's territory and influence through colonization. Competition for colonies led to conflict.
• Assassination: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered a series of events that led to war.

Key Figures

• Kaiser Wilhelm II: German Emperor (1859-1941)
• King George V: King of England (1865-1936)
• Tsar Nicholas II: Emperor of Russia (1868-1918)

Map of Europe 1914

• A map showing the political alliances of European countries in 1914.
• Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy)
• Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia)
• Notice the geographical position of Serbia and its relation to other countries and alliances.

Cause #1: Militarism - Naval Race

• Britain had the most powerful navy in the world.
• Britain relied on its navy for defense and empire management.
• Britain favored a navy size two times larger than any other naval power.
• Germany built their own navy trying to challenge Britain's control of the seas.
• This created a naval arms race between Britain and Germany.
• By 1914, Britain had 29 Dreadnought battleships and Germany had 18.

Cause #1: Growth in Armaments

• Countries' spending on their armies and navies increased significantly from 1890 to 1914.
• Germany spent the most on its navy in 1910.
• Major European powers increased their military spending markedly.

Cause #1: Colonial Wars

• Colonial wars served as testing grounds for new military technologies, including machine guns, telegraphs, and steamships.
• The use of advanced weapons in colonial conflicts demonstrated their effectiveness.

Armies (1914)

• The Triple Entente alliance had a significantly larger, better trained military than the Triple Alliance.

Cause #2: Alliances

• Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia
• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
• Alliances bound countries to defend each other.

Cause #3: Nationalism

• Nationalism involved intense pride in one's country and a desire to protect its customs and culture.
• Some ethnic groups wanted independence and their own states even when living within larger empires
• Pan-Slavism: The idea of uniting all Slavic people in the Balkans.
• The decline of the Ottoman Empire created power vacuums and tensions between European powers.

Cause #3: The Eastern Question

• The decline of the Ottoman Empire created questions about the future of territories in the Balkans and surrounding regions.
• Great powers sought to gain or expand influence.
• This was a major factor leading up to WWI.

Cause #4: Imperialism

• Imperialism is the policy of extending a country’s territory or influence through colonization.
• Competition for territory and resources (e.g., in Africa) fuelled tensions between European powers.
• Germany sought more territory/power and expanded its empires.
• Imperialism was a source of conflict and tension.

Cause #5: Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
• The assassination ignited a chain reaction of declarations of war.
• Gavrilo Princip, part of a Serbian terrorist group, was responsible for the assassination.

Catalyst

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered a series of events.
• The assassination triggered a domino effect leading to WWI.

Responsibility for the War

• The causes of WWI were complex and involved several countries.
• Various political cartoon images present different perspectives on this.

Canada's Response

• A political cartoon representing Canada's support for Britain in the war.
• Canada sided with the British Empire during the war.

Timeline of WWI

• A timeline showing the sequence of important events leading to the start of the war.
• Specific dates relating to Austria-Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Germany, and Great Britain's decision to participate in the conflict.
• Assassination of Ferdinand, ultimatum, mobilization, declarations of war, and invasion.

Understanding Motives

• Activities involving researching the goals of major powers during the war.
• Discussing how the war started and who bore responsibility for the conflict.