1. Quick Fire We have talked much about the “Stupid Leaders Theory.”
A few people at the top plunged the whole world into war.
Do you think this is true or false? Why?

2. WWI Begins: Two Theories
We test two theories on how WWI started
1) A few European leaders plunged the world into war
2)A system of alliances plunged the world into war

4. Who are the players?
Kaiser Wilhelm II, Last Emperor of Germany

5. Who are the players?
Tsar Nicholas II, Last Emperor of Russia

6. Who are the Players? George V, King of United Kingdom
(England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland)
United Kingdom was a democracy with a king.

7. Who are the players? France
France was a democracy with no king or queen.

8. Who are the players?
Franz Joseph,
Last Emperor of Austria-Hungary

9. The Problem
Princip was a member of the Serbian Nationalist terrorist group, Black Hand.
Franz Ferdinand, the sole heir to the Austria-Hungary Empire was just gunned down by a Serbian Nationalist.

10. That’s what Europe was like before World War I…
We’ve got each other’s back!
Before World War I (WWI), Europe was tired.
Europeans had been fighting for hundreds of years.
Finally, they got into two big groups:
The Triple Entente
The Triple Alliance

11. That’s what Europe was like before World War I…
We’ve got each other’s back!
Triple Entente:
France
Great Britain
Russian Empire
Triple Alliance:
German Empire
Austria-Hungarian Empire
Italy
The idea: Safety in Numbers

12. That’s what Europe was like before World War I…
Stand up for your friends!
The countries in the Triple Alliance swore to defend each other against an attack from the countries of the Triple Entente (and vise versa).
The problem: If two European countries went to war, they would drag all of Europe (and their colonies in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia) into the war.

13. That’s what Europe was like before World War I…
Stand up for your friends!
The problem: If two European countries went to war, they would drag all of Europe (and their colonies in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia) into the war.
World War I was just waiting to explode!