A brief over-view of the issues leading up to The Great War.

2.  Greatest between Great Britain and Germany
 German industry had become more efficient than
British
 A commercial war
 Germany more modern

3.  Britain accepted the challenge and built the
Dreadnought, a super battle ship
 Neither power wanted to make the first move to
fight, but neither would back down
 Naval race heightened the tension leading to war

4.  Kaiser Wilhelm
wanted Germany
among the world
powers
◦ Challenge Britain’s
supremacy (economic
and naval)
 By 1900 Germany’s
navy was 2nd
only to
Great Britain
 Naval race had begun

6.  Nationalism gave
rise to a bullying
outlook
 Amongst weaker
nations, it
became an outlet
for aggression,
anxiety or
inferiority

7.  Alsace-Lorraine was a constant sense of
bitterness for French
◦ Seized by Germany
◦ Forbade speaking and teaching of French in schools
 Provided hatred towards Germany

9.  Gaining Alsace-Lorraine added to national pride
 Pan-German League dreamed of a German
controlled Europe
◦ Converted Hitler, had Nazi principles
 New railway promised further German political and
commercial domination

10.  Conflict between Austrian and Hungarian
monarchies
 Too many different ethnic groups
 All want to separate
 Hard too because of the unity in the army
 Serbia gains independence
 Other ethnicities jealous

11.  Serbians were aided by the Pan-Slavist
movement
◦ Wanted to unite all peoples of Slavic blood under the
leadership of Russia
 Russia wanted to unite all the Slovak states
 Wanted to control Austria

12.  Read the article “Militarism: The Philosophy
Behind War” and answer the following
questions:
1) Why did Heinrich von Treitschke regard war as
a far more desirable condition than peace?
2) According to Treitschke, what is the
individual’s highest responsibility?
3) According to Treitschke, what function does
the hero serve in national life?

13. 13
 In 1914, European diplomats were unable or unwilling to
find diplomatic alternatives.
 Europeans believed that no state should dominate
international affairs.
 States attempted to gain advantages, but the notion of a
reasonable balance of power always persisted.
 Since the victory of Germany over France in 1871, the
German Empire became the most important state in
Europe.

14. 14
 France yearned for revenge
 Russia & Austria-Hungry wanted to expand
 Italy aspired to become a major player
 England was not interested in European expansion, but only
on its imperial efforts throughout the world
 In 1881, Bismarck created the Three Emperor's League, in
which German, Italy and Austria-Hungary agreed:
◦ “In case one of the High Contracting Parties should find itself at
war with a fourth Great Power, the others shall maintain towards it
a benevolent neutrality and shall devote their efforts to the
localization of the conflict”
 This left France without allies so they aligned with Russia and
Great Britain

16. 16
 Decay of Ottoman Empire created instability in the Balkans.
 Austria-Hungary tried to create a multinational empire in a time
of nationalism, unsuccessful.
 Serbians (Slavs) turned to Russia, creating great tension.
 June 28th, 1914… Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to
the throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo by a young Serbian
nationalist, Gavrilo Princip.
 Germany declared war with Russia and France.
 Germany using the neutral Belgium forced Britain into the war.
 Events unfolded and on August 3rd, Germany invaded Belgium
and WWI began.