World War I: Causes and Key Events

Factors that Led to World War I

• This module discusses the conditions and factors that contributed to World War I's outbreak, as well as the key events
• Europe experienced relative peace, prosperity, and advancements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

M.A.N.I.A.

• M.A.N.I.A. is a mnemonic to summarize the factors that led to World War I

Militarism

• Militarism is a policy that glorifies military power, promotes its buildup, and maintains a standing army
• Nations increased military strength by expanding standing armies and manufacturing more weapons
• Powerful European countries devoted large sums to armaments and maintaining large armies during peacetime
• Britain focused on naval strength
• Military officials created defense plans based on attack capabilities

Alliances

• Alliances are agreements between states for mutual benefit
• Europe was divided into alliance systems,heightening tension
• Germany created alliances to isolate France, with Otto von Bismarck forming the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882
• An alliance with Russia was formed in 1887 but was weak due to potential conflict between Russia and Austria.
• France sought alliances due to Germany's increasing military power
• The Entente Cordiale was formed between France and Britain in 1904, meaning "friendly understanding."
• The Triple Entente was formed in 1907 between Britain, France, and Russia because of a shared distrust of Germany
• Alliances can cause countries to be unnecessarily aggressive
• Alliances can trigger a chain reaction, escalating conflicts due to the involvement of member states

Nationalism

• Nationalism is devotion to and pride in one's country, with loyalty to its people, culture, and history
• Rivalry among European nations was caused by competition for materials and markets, as well as territorial disputes
• French nationalists wanted to regain Alsace and Lorraine from Germany
• German nationalists aimed to expand their territory and power
• Russian Pan-Slavists wanted Russia to rule over the Slavs of Eastern Europe
• Nationalism can be a unifying force or cause intense competition, which contributed to the rivalry among European nations at the turn of the 20th century

Imperialism

• Imperialism is a policy where a strong nation dominates other countries - politically, economically, and socially
• European countries competed for colonies in Asia and Africa, leading to conflicts
• Competition for raw materials and markets drove European countries to compete for overseas colonies
• The desire to expand territories led these countries to the brink of war

Assassination

• Assassination was the immediate cause of World War I
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914
• Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist and member of the Black Hand Movement, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• The Black Hand Movement aimed to rid Bosnia of Austrian rule
• Serbians hoped that the assassination would lead to a Slavic revolution
• Austrian authorities used the assassination to attack Serbia

The Chain of Events Leading to WWI

• June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo
• July 23, 1914: Austria sent Serbia an ultimatum
• July 28, 1914: Austria declared war on Serbia
• July 30, 1914: Russia ordered full mobilization of its forces
• August 1, 1914: Germany declared war on France
• August 3, 1914: Germany invaded Belgium
• August 4, 1914: Britain joined the war
• August 6, 1914: Austria declared war on Russia

The Opposing Sides

• The Allies*
• Great Britain, France, and Russia joined September 5, 1914
• Italy joined April 26, 1915
• United States on April 6, 1917
• The Central Powers*
• Included Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1914
• Ottoman Empire joined October 29, 1914
• Bulgaria October 14, 1915
• Other nations eventually joined either side
• Some countries remained neutral

The Two Fronts of the War

• World War I's major battles occurred on two main fronts
• Western Front*
• A region in northern France with long stalemates
• Germany used the Schlieffen Plan to attack and defeat France before fighting Russia
• The Schlieffen Plan failed because Russia mobilized faster than expected
• Eastern Front*
• The battleground along the German and Russian border
• Russians and Serbs fought against Germans and Austro-Hungarians
• Russia initially attacked Austria and Germany, but by late 1914, the Austrians defeated the Russians
• Russia signed a treaty with Germany in March 1918 due to huge losses and domestic problems, leading to Germany's victory

Trench Warfare

• Trench warefare involves armed forces attacking, defending, and counterattacking from trenches
• The Western Front was marked by a network of trenches, hundreds of miles across France
• "No man's land" was the area between trench systems, dangerous to cross because of potential enemy attacks

Involvement of Other Countries

• Italy*
• Joined the Allies by a secret agreement with France and Britain
• In 1917, German and Austrian forces broke through Italian lines at Caporetto, capturing 275,000+ prisoners
• Japan*
• Took over German territories in China and the Pacific
• The Ottoman Empire*
• Planted mines in the Dardanelles
• Allied forces landed in Gallipoli to control the Dardanelles but eventually withdrew after heavy losses
• Africa*
• British and French troops seized German colonies of Togoland and Cameroon

The United States in the War

• In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson announced a policy of neutrality
• Some Americans sympathized with France and Britain, feared authoritarian governments such as that of Germany and Austria, and were angered by the sinking of the Lusitania
• Arthur Zimmermann sent a coded telegram to Mexico, proposing an alliance and promising the return of Texas and parts of the American Southwest if Germany won
• The British decoded that message, angering Americans
• The United States declared war on Germany in April 1917