Europe Before WWI

Changes in Europe

Franco-Prussian War helped to create Germany

Frances lost…Money and landBy 1871 Germany most powerful

nation in Central EuropeTension between France and

Germany…scared!

Bismarck Keeps Peace

Great at keeping peace.Wanted to isolate France so that don’t

make alliancesAllies with Russia and Austria-Hungary

Both want BalkansKnew that Great Britain would be

neutral = no threat.

Alliances

1873 - Three Emperors League Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary

1877 Russia wins control of Balkans after defeating Ottoman Empire. Bismarck gives Bosnia-Herzegovina to

Austria-Hungary. Russia mad.

Fall of Bismarck’s Peace

New leader (William II) takes overExpensive to keep alliance with Russia

and Austria-Hungary. Drops alliance with Russia (poor

underdeveloped and desperate).Russia looks for a friend!

France Steps In…

France also needs an ally, so they help Russia.

Give economic supportPerfect plan for France…others in

Europe nervous about their power. France needs another ally in order to

protect themselves or have a war.

Rival Blocs

Germany & Austria-Hungary vs. France & Russia.

Great Britain not involved previously but now ready for alliances. Trying to save their power in Europe and

are afraid of Germany and their powerful Navy.

1904 Triple Entente - Britain, France, and Russia

4 Main Causes of WWI

Nationalism - rise of new nationsImperialism - each country trying to

expandMilitarism - all building up militaries

and creates fear. Alliance System - drags everyone into

a tiny little war!

NationalismModernization Countries wanted to

unite because they were inspired by ideas of the French Revolution and Enlightenment and wanted to form their own working governments.

Germany and Italy are good examples of various states, who shared similar ideas, people, geographic regions that decided to unite.

Leading to WWI This ideas will continue. Now

countries move more towards competing with each other.

As larger countries are expanding and gaining more land under Imperialism, smaller countries are trying to retain their autonomy!

Bosnia is a great example. They did not want to be controlled by Austria-Hungary and Serbia wanted to unite with them because they were all Serbs.

ImperialismModernization Industrialization and the

development of factories and industry, led to an increase in goods and supplies. It fosters economic competition.

Countries began to expand and gain new lands as a way to acquire natural resources and find new markets for their goods.

Leading to WWI As this Imperialism

continues, countries grow increasingly competitive.

Now countries are not just competing for resources, but new lands = Power!

Countries are beginning to confront each other as they are fighting over the same territories.

This happens in the Balkan Peninsula and will lead to WWI.

MilitarismModernization

One of the results of the expansion of technology during the Era of Industrialization, is that there are many new military technologies.

Countries are now working to develop the best weapons they can.

Leading to WWI

Again, in the spirit of competition, countries are now feeling threatened by each other due to the build up of military arms.

Leads other countries to develop new weapons and adds to the tension that already exists.

Puts everyone edge and ready to jump to war.

Alliance SystemModernization After Napoleon was

exiled, during the Congress of Vienna the Great Powers tried to find ways to balance the power in Europe.

The attitude of all countries was to work together and keep peace so that they could avoid a situation where one country had all of the power.

Leading to WWI This effort leads to the

creation of multiple alliance systems.

The alliances were formed to keep peace and worked well for a long time. They’re downfall is that they ended up dragging everyone into WWI because they grew to be so entangling.

Crisis in the Balkans

Everyone was fighting over the land. Russia wanted a port to the Mediterranean

Sea and to maintain Slavic control. Germany wanted a route to Turkey and

Middle East/Africa. Serbia wanted to unite with

Bosnia/Herzegovina because they both had a Serb population.

When Austria-Hungary annexes the territory, many people are mad.

War is inevitable!

Balkans were bound to cause war!Bosnia-Herzegovina controlled by

Austria-Hungary…Serbia not happy about that. They want to unify all Serbs.

Russia and Austria-Hungary feared each other’s domination in the area.

Tension was high in the region…

Assassination!Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in

Bosnia to celebrate the Annexation (parade)

Serbian boy who was part of the Black Hand (wanted Bosnia to have independence) shoots the Archduke in an alley as he is trying to escape.

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. All other countries are drug into the war

due to their alliances…

Last Straw

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sets off the spark that ignites war throughout Europe.