1. The MAIN Causes of WW1
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism

2. M is for Militarism
Militarism means that the army and military forces are given a high profile (priority) by the government – building up armed forces; getting ready for war.

3. COMPARATIVE FIGURES ON ARMY INCREASE: 1870-1914
Russia 700, ,300,000
France 380, ,000
Germany 403, ,000
Austria-Hungary 247, ,000
Britain 302, ,000
Italy 334, ,000
Japan 70, ,000
U.S.A. 37, ,000

4. Militarism = The Two Power Standard
The Two Power Standard = Policy that stated that the British navy had to be at all times be equal or better than any two other navies combined (i.e. France and Germany).

5. Militarism = The (Naval) Arms Race
The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914.
There was fierce competition between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas = The (Naval) Arms Race.

6. Militarism = The (Naval) Arms Race
The growing European divide had led to an arms race between the main countries.

7. Militarism: New Ships
The British had introduced the 'Dreadnought', an effective battleship, in 1906.
The Germans soon followed suit introducing their own battleships – Nassau Class Battleship.

8. HMS Dreadnought

9. SMS Rheinland

10. Militarism: The Schlieffen Plan
The German General, Von Schlieffen also drew up a plan of action that involved attacking France through neutral Belgium if Russia made an attack on Germany = the Schlieffen Plan. 

11. Militarism: The Schlieffen Plan
Belgium had a pact with Britain = that if anyone invaded her Britain agreed to come to her rescue/to protect her. 

12. The Schlieffen Plan

14. A is for Alliance Alliances=Protection
Countries ally to support one another out of fear from other countries (saw them as threats) ~ not to be left alone if attacked by an enemy.

15. A is for Alliance Alliances=Protection
Provided a sense of security for those countries in an alliance.

16. Alliances = Power Divisions
Kept Europe’s Great Powers in check ~ balance of power.

17. Alliances = Power Divisions
But alliances also divided Europe in that if war broke out between two countries in one of the alliances, all the countries involved would be brought into the conflict.

19. Alliance System in Europe by 1914
Two Major Alliances Developed:
THE TRIPLE ENTENTE (aka Allies)
Britain
France
Russia
Would be replaced by the USA in 1917.

20. Alliance System in Europe by 1914
THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE (aka Central Powers)
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
Would be replaced by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey; the “dying man of Europe”) in 1914.

23. Increased Tensions in Europe: Uneasiness + Chances
As this alliance system grew, so did the uneasiness in Europe, since countries with allies would be more likely to take chances in a crisis situation.

24. Increased Tensions in Europe: Confidence + Chain Reaction
This sense of confidence eventually led to a chain reaction of events, with the conflict escalating from two countries to a world war.

27. I is for Imperialism
Imperialism is trying to build an empire = when a powerful country takes over new lands or countries (colonies) and makes them subject to their rule = colonization.

28. I is for Imperialism
By 1900 the British Empire extended over five continents and France had control of large areas of Africa.

31. Imperialism = Resources
With the rise of industrialism countries needed new markets = more colonies because they needed new resources so mercantilism was once again embraced to control global trade.

32. Imperialism = Colonies
The amount of lands 'owned‘/colonized by Britain and France increased the rivalry with Germany who had entered the scramble to acquire colonies late and only had small areas of Africa.

34. A Slice of the African Cake

36. N is for Nationalism
Nationalism means having pride (patriotism) in your country + be willing to defend it = being a strong supporter of the rights and interests of one's country.

38. Nationalism
The settlement at the end of the Franco-Prussian War ( ) left France angry at the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany and keen to regain their lost territory.

39. Nationalism
Large areas of both Austria- Hungary and Serbia were home to differing nationalist groups, all of whom wanted freedom/independence from the states in which they lived.

40. Flashpoint: The Bosnian Crisis, 1908
In 1908, Austria-Hungary took over the former Turkish province of Bosnia.
This angered Serbians who felt the province should be theirs.

41. Flashpoint: The Bosnian Crisis, 1908
Serbia threatened Austria- Hungary with war, Russia, allied to Serbia, mobilized its forces.

42. Flashpoint: The Bosnian Crisis, 1908
Russia saw the Serbians as their fellow Slavs (Slavic peoples); shared they same ethnic background + wanted access to the Dardanelles, a warm water port.

44. The Bosnian Crisis + Germany & A-H
Germany, allied to Austria- Hungary mobilized its forces and prepared to threaten Russia.
War was avoided, at this time, when Russia backed down.

45. The Bosnian Crisis + Turkey
There was, however, war in the Balkans between 1911 and (The Balkans War) when the Balkan states drove the Ottomans/Turkey out of the area.
The states then fought each other over which area should belong to which state.

46. The Balkans
The Balkans were known as the “Powder Keg of Europe” = just waiting to explode (like a bomb) with imperialist, nationalist, and ethnic tensions; needed a spark.

47. The Balkans
The Balkans = is a geographical term, which designates the large peninsula in the southeastern part of the European continent, connecting Europe to Asia; is home to very diverse ethnic populations.

48. The Balkans
Today, the Balkans include these independent countries: Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, the rump Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), and Bosnia.

50. The Bosnian Crisis + A-H & Serbia
After Russia backed down, Austria-Hungary intervened and forced Serbia to give up some of its acquisitions (gained in the Balkan War).
Tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary were high.

52. Critical Flashpoint: The Spark that Started WW1
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on June 28, 1914, set in motion a series of diplomatic events that led inexorably to the outbreak of war in Europe at the end of July 1914

53. The Spark & Princip
Ferdinand - and his wife Sophie - were killed by Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip (part of the Black Hand – a extreme nationalist, terrorist, revolutionary Serbian group) while on a formal visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia. 

54. The Spark & Princip
Princip shot Ferdinand at point blank range while the latter was travelling in his car from a town hall reception, having earlier that day already survived one assassination attempt.

55. The Assassination

56. The July Crisis – Blank Cheque
After the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, Austria- Hungary and Germany spoke about Serbia and Germany stated that it would do anything that Austria-Hungary needed to help crush Serbia = Germany gave Austria-Hungary a Blank Cheque.

57. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
After the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, a series of diplomatic maneuverings led to an ultimatum from Austria-Hungary to Serbia, and ultimately to war – the July Crisis.

58. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
The Austro-Hungarian government waited three weeks following the assassination of before issuing its formal response.

59. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
July 7, 1914, - Austria- Hungary's ultimatum comprised a lengthy list of demands made upon the Serbian government. 
It took as its basis an assumption that the Serbian government was implicated in events at Sarajevo.

60. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
Austria-Hungary wanted Serbia to:
Take full responsibility for the murder - Austria claimed that the conspirators confessed to the murders being planned with Serbian approval and weapons.

61. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
Insisted that Austria-Hungary be allowed to participate in Serbia’s investigation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination and, in particular, to take direct part in the judicial process against the suspects (meaning in Austrian-Hungarian courts).

62. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
Required Serbia permit Austrian-Hungarian police to enter Serbia to stamp out all forms of anti-Austrian activism and propaganda emanating from the country and eliminate terrorist organizations within its borders.

63. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
To allow Austrian’s to police Serbia would challenge Serbia's right to rule itself, making it in effect a territory of Austria-Hungary.

64. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
The ultimatum, written by members of the Austrian Council of Ministers, was specifically intended to be humiliating and unacceptable to Serbia.

65. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
The terms were more severe than Serbia could possibly accept, and Austria-Hungary must have known this.

66. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
The ultimatum was presented by the Austrian-Hungarian government to Belgrade (capital of Serbia) on July 23, 1914. 
A response was demanded within two days, by July 25 (only 48 hours). 

67. The July Crisis - Ultimatums
After seeking Russian advice, Serbia refused to accept the parts of the ultimatum that allowed Austrian troops or police into Serbia; they would prosecute the assassin but in Serbian courts not in Austria-Hungarian ones.

68. WW1 Austria-Hungary refused to accept this and declared war.
WW1, the Great War, had begun:
July 28, 1914 –
November 11, 1918.

70. Back in the Day: WWI Causes Animation
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