1. Causes of WWI: Militarism –building up of military forces to protect homeland & colonies European countries expanded their military Germany increased their navy to compete with Great Britain

2. Alliances – agreements among nations to help each other if attacked Triple Entente (Allied Powers): Great Britain, France, Russia Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

3. Imperialism – countries build global empires by colonizing around the world in order to gain resources and land, which increases wealth. countries were competitive and often argued over territory

4. Nationalism – an interest of one’s homeland above world cooperation. Slavs, Czechs, Serbians, and Slovaks wanted freedom from Austria- Hungary France wanted land that Germany had taken (Alsace and Lorraine)

5. ***On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie of Austria-Hungary were assassinated by a Serb in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Then…  Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia. Then…  Russia aided Serbia. Then…  Germany declared war on Russia. Then…  France declared war on Germany. Then…  Germany attacked Belgium. Then…  Great Britain entered the war to help Belgium and France. Europe was at war.

6. Technological advances made during the Industrial Revolution caused WWI to be a more deadly war. Armies dug thousands of miles of trenches. US entered the war in 1917 because ~Germans interfered with American shipping ~The Zimmerman Telegram Germany surrendered, and the war ended on November 11, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. The treaty was meant to prevent future wars, but Germany thought it was unfair, and it led to World War II.

7. According to the Treaty of Versailles… Germany was to give up territories and colonies to France, Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, and Poland. To prevent Germany from starting another war, the size of its army was reduced. It was forbidden to have submarines and aircraft. Germany accepted responsibility for starting the war and was penalized $33 billion in damages to other nations. The League of Nations was formed. The League of Nations was supposed to be an organization that settled disputes between nations through peaceful talks. It failed because not every major nation joined, and it required that all countries agree, which is rare.