1. 1914-1918

2. Conventional View 1. Nationalism – Devotion to one’s nation  Created a competition among the great powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Russia, Italy and France) 2. Imperialism  Search for raw materials and new markets  Competition between nations brought them to the brink of war

3.  Bismarck wanted a war in order to complete German unification.  Why?  Germany defeats France  Peace agreement places huge payments on France  Loss of Alsace-Lorraine (German Speaking)  Creates a huge hatred a between France and Germany

4.  In order to preserve German power -Isolate France  The Triple Alliance (1882) Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary  Bismarck made an alliance with Russia but when the emperor of Germany Wilhelm II dismissed Bismarck he let alliance treaty with Russia lapse  France seized opportunity and formed an alliance with Russia

5.  Militarism-  Led to an Arms race  Wilhelm II wanted to build a modern navy equal to that of Great Britain.  By 1914 European powers had large standing armies  Stressed the ability to mobilize quickly in case of war.

6.  In response to Germany’s desire to build a navy  Great Britain does not want power challenged so joined the alliance with France and Russia – Triple Entente

7.  As the Ottoman Empire collapsed the Balkan region inflamed in nationalist uprisings.  Emergence of new nations Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia.  Serbia had a mostly Slavic population wanted to include all Slavs in its borders.  1980 Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina (mainly Slavic populations)  Tensions between Austria and Bosnia

8.  Archduke Ferdinand of Austria paid a visit to Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia  Assassinated by Gavrilo Princip  Black Hand – A Serbian nationalist terrorist group. With the goal of ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule.

9.  Since Princip was Serbian the Austrians used the assassination as an excuse to punish Serbia.  Austria gave Serbia a list of demands  The Serbian government had 48 hours in which to agree  Serbia agreed to all of them except one: That Austria could send investigators into Serbia to investigate assassination. Serbian government saw this as an attack in its sovereignty.

10.  To what extent did each cause significantly lead to war?  Imperialism-  Militarism-  Nationalism –  Alliance system-

11.  Alliance system kicks into Gear  Austria declares war on Serbia  Russia is Serbia’s ally Russia began mobilization of forces towards Austrian border.  Germany viewed the Russian mobilization as an act of war and declared war on Russia and France.  Great Britain Declares war on Germany

12. Central Powers  Germany  Austria-Hungary  Ottoman Empire  Bulgaria Allies  Great Britain  France  Russia (leaves war 1917)  Japan  Italians (leave Triple alliance wait and see attitude)  US enters 1917

13.  The Big Four- leaders that designed the Versailles Treaty -peace agreement to end WWI  Woodrow Wilson - USA  Georges Clemenceau - France  David Lloyd George – GB  Vittorio Orlando – Italy  US did not want a punishing agreement; Britain and France wanted to punish Germany and strip it of its war-making capabilities.

14. Called for;  End of secret treaties  Freedom of the seas  Free Trade  Reduced navies and armies  Adjustment to colonial claims to the benefit of those who were colonized

15.  Changing borders and the creation of new nations in Europe. Based on self-determination - Allowing people to decide for themselves under what kind of government they wished to live.  League of Nations – an international body to negotiate peacefully solutions to world conflicts.

16.  How did Wilson’s vision address and attempt to remedy the causes of WWI?

17.  War Guilt Clause –  Pay huge reparations to the Allies $33 Billion  Germany had to return Alsace-Lorraine to the French  Limits the size of German army; prohibited making of weapons  Stripped of all colonies (became mandates of the League of nations)  Formation of the League of Nations

18.  The break up of the Austria-Hungarian Empire.  New nations- Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.  The Break up of the Ottoman Empire  British Mandates – Iraq, Palestine, Transjordan  French Mandates – Syria and Lebanon

19.  Germans felt unduly punished for the war.  Humiliated as a nation.  Africa and Asian nations were embittered because Allies disregarded their desire for independence.  The mandate system continued Western imperialism.  Japan and Italy gained less territory than they desired.

20.  New level of destruction and death on both a global and never before seen scale.  Fall of four empires; German; Ottoman; Austria-Hungary; Russian.  Huge war debt and severely weakened economies.  Peace Agreement that leads to war.