Causes of the War

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Causes of the War

• Four main causes
• Nationalism
• Imperialism
• Militarism
• Creation of Alliances
• Assassination

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Nationalism

• Absolute devotion to the well being of ones home
  nation
• Leads to competition and rivalries between
  nations
• Ethnic groups long for independence
• Turn to large nation states for protection
• Russians agree to protect Slavic peoples
  including the Serbs

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• Serbs live under the rule of Austria-Hungary
• Tension btwn Russia and Austria-Hungary grows
  over Serbian independence
• (Reference map)
• http//www.marshmellow.net/deutschland/maps/Europe
  _1913.jpg

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Imperialism

• Used by nations of Europe to extend control
  across the globe
• Increases economic profit
• Supplier of raw materials and new markets
• With German industrialization, Germany competes
  with France and Britain for global colonial
  conquest

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Militarism

• MilitarismDevelopment of armed forces to be used
  diplomatically
• Imperial competition leads to military growth
• 1890 Germany has
• the largest army from
• expansion

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• Militarism (cont.)
• 1897 Germany focuses on competition with Britain
  for naval dominance
• Who will control the shipping lanes?
• Other global powers enter the naval arms race

Why are the shipping lanes important?
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Creation of Alliances

• The Triple Entente (Allies)
• France, Britain, and Russia
• The Triple Alliance
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
• Italy will leave the Alliance, creating
• Central Powers
• Germany Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
• Alliances ensure security via a balance of power.
  But also set the stage for global war

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Assassination

• The Balkan Powder Keg
• European powers have an interest in the Balkan
  Peninsula
• Russia wants the Med. Sea
• Germany wants a railway to Ottoman Empire
• Austria-Hungary wants more control of Bosnia

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• Archduke Franz Ferdinand visits Bosnian capital
• Shot dead by Serbian nationalist
• Member of the Black Hand, promote Serbian
  nationalism
• Austria declares war on
• Serbia
• Russia comes to Serbias
• aid
• Germany declares war on
• Russia and their ally France
• Britain declares war on Germany
• and Austria-Hungary