World War I Origins Quiz

World War I Origins

• Allied powers won World War I in 1918, but both sides suffered immense casualties: 9 million soldiers and likely over 10 million civilians.
• New technologies (chemical gas, long-range artillery) produced devastating conflict.
• Post-war Europe suffered widespread economic turmoil.
• The war's onset, in a previously largely peaceful and prosperous continent, remains a key question.

Trigger and Underlying Causes

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered a chain reaction of declarations of war.
• However, underlying conditions created the conflict over decades, and the outbreak only took a few days
• Leading experts argue that decades of factors led Europe to the brink of a major conflict.

Pre-War Europe and The Concert of Europe

• For centuries, European empires and kingdoms engaged in frequent conflict over resources and power.
• In 1814-1815, European powers met in Vienna to seek a lasting peace framework.
• The Concert of Europe—a diplomatic system— emerged, aiming to maintain stability by prioritizing existing dynasties.
• This period saw significant progress and global influence for Europe, driven by technological innovations (machinery, steel, electricity).
• Strong European empires controlled significant parts of the world throughout the 19th century (Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, later Germany, Italy, and Russia).

Factors Leading to the Conflict (Three)

The Rise of Germany

• Following the Napoleonic Wars, a balance of power in Europe prevented major conflicts as large powers had similar strengths.
• Initially, Austria, Britain, and Russia, and later Britain and Prussia, were the region's main powers.
• Britain, initially a dominant world power with a vast empire and navy, saw its relative strength decline in the mid- to late-1800s.
• The industrial growth of the United States and Germany challenged Britain's economic dominance.
• Germany, unified in 1871, quickly industrialized and became a global power through acquiring colonies.