Causes WWI

During World War I, approximately 416,809 Australian men enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).At the time, Australia’s total population was around 4.9 million.

38% of eligible Australian men aged 18-44 volunteered to serve—a significant proportion of our population compared to other nations.

By 1918, 331 781 Australians had served overseas.

Of these, 59 372 were killed and 152 171 were wounded.

Write down the differences you can see.s you can see

Summarise

The causes of World War I (1914-1918) are often summarized using the acronym MAIN: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. Each of these factors contributed to escalating tensions among European powers, leading to the outbreak of war. Here's how:

In Summary: "MAIN"

Militarism made nations prepared and eager for war.
Alliances turned a regional conflict into a global one.
Imperialism increased rivalries over colonies and resources.
Nationalism fueled both internal and external conflicts, with countries and ethnic groups seeking dominance or independence.

Copy the MAIN causes of WWI above.

Watch this and write down key points

British Empire in 1914

Militarism

•Major European nations were building up army munitions & artillery from the start of the 20th century in preparation for a war

•claimed they were not preparing but continued to build

•This led to increased suspicion and fear

•Turning Point: Germany decided to increase its navy. Britain saw this as a major threat

•Potential for Germany to cut Britain off from her colonies

1. Militarism

Definition: Militarism refers to the belief that a country should maintain a strong military and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.
Impact: By the early 20th century, European powers were engaged in an arms race, building up their armies and navies. Countries like Germany, France, and Britain significantly increased military spending. This buildup created a sense of inevitable conflict, as each nation sought to demonstrate military superiority.
Example: Germany’s expansion of its navy threatened Britain, which responded by bolstering its own naval forces. This rivalry heightened tensions between these powers and contributed to a war-ready atmosphere.

The following table lists defence and military spending of 7 major nations between 1908 and 1913.

Write down 5 important observations using this table.

Naval ships available in 1914.

Explain how militarism was a cause of WWI.

•Alliances were established to maintain a balance of power in Europe

•Two rival alliances:

1.Triple Entente (France, Russia, Britain)

2.Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary & Italy).

•also known as the ‘central powers’

•This meant that majority of Europe would be pulled into conflict if war broke out.

2. Alliances

Definition: Alliances are formal agreements between countries to defend each other in case of an attack.
Impact: By 1914, Europe was divided into two main alliance blocs:
- The Triple Entente: France, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
- The Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. These alliances were meant to deter conflict, but they instead created a situation where a small conflict could quickly escalate into a larger war.

The Triple Entente of 1907 - Russia, France and Britain - an agreement to defend each other in the event of a threat from Germany - a counter to the Triple Alliance

The Triple Entente of 1914 - Britain, Russia and France agreed not to agree to peace separately

The Triple Alliance of 1882 - Germany and Austria- Hungary made an alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking sides with Russia

Political cartoon depicting the tangled web of European alliances of the late 19th century. Note Marianne, representing France, crying alone in the bottom-left corner thanks to German chancellor Otto von Bismarck's (pictured in the center) successful attempts to keep her isolated from the rest of the European powers.

Tasks:

1.Explain why Germany and Austria may feel scared.

2.List the countries that Great Britain have formed an alliance with.

Mapping Task

1. Use the list of alliances to colour code the map according to treaties/alliances.

2. Label the map with a key that outlines the treaty/alliance name & date signed

Explain how alliances were a cause of WWI.

Imperialism

Imperialism was one of the causes of World War I because European powers were competing to build empires. Countries like Britain and France already controlled large overseas colonies, while Germany wanted to expand its own empire. This competition created rivalry and distrust between the nations. For example, clashes in Africa and the Middle East increased tension before 1914. Imperialism made the great powers jealous of each other and more willing to go to war to protect or grow their empires.

o18th – 19th century: Large empires started to take control of smaller regions

oCompetition for the control of territories and resources in Africa

oGave nations access to raw materials that weren’t available in Europe

Imperialism

Definition: Imperialism is the policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means.
Impact: European powers had been competing for colonies, particularly in Africa and Asia, leading to conflicts over territory. The desire for more colonies heightened rivalries among the major powers, as countries sought to expand their empires.
Example: Germany, a relatively new imperial power, felt it had been left behind in the "Scramble for Africa" and other colonial ventures, which caused tensions with established colonial powers like Britain and France. These rivalries contributed to a broader atmosphere of distrust and competition.

Explain how imperialism was a cause of WWI.

Nationalism was another important cause of World War I because it made people very proud of their countries and willing to fight for them. The rising nationalism that was apparent throughout Europe in the early twentieth century is often cited as one of the four longterm causes of World War One; and with its natural links to both militarism and imperialism is considered by many historians to be the single biggest cause. In the big powers, like Germany, France, and Britain, nationalism encouraged competition to be the strongest nation in Europe. •Smaller nations began fighting for independence

•Traditional powers (Britain, France, Austria Hungary) tried to expand

•This causes major tension in an area known as the BALKANS

In the Balkans, nationalism was even more dangerous. Groups such as the Serbs wanted independence from empires like Austria-Hungary. This strong sense of pride and desire for independence created tension and led to conflict, especially after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.

Nationalism and xenophobia were just as rife in Germany, although the root of this patriotism was not from centuries of world dominance, but rather the overzealous optimism of a new nation-state.

In order to consolidate the newly unified Germany and strengthen the national identity of the German people, the government employed various strategies to help create a nationalist sentiment.Pan-German nationalism sought to unify all of the German-speaking people in Europe, and was very successful in building a German national identity. Unfortunately, Pan-Germanism at its most extreme, such as the Pan-German League, which was founded in 1891, led to openly ethnocentric and racist ideologies, which would really come to the fore in the nineteen thirties and forties, with diabolical consequences.

Franz Ferdinand

Heir to Austria – Hungarian Throne

Assassin = Gavrilo Princip

•a Serbian nationalist and a member of the Black Hand.

•Princip and other nationalist hoped to unite all Serbian peoples under the one country.

4. Nationalism

Definition: Nationalism is a strong identification with one's own nation and a desire for national independence or dominance.
Impact: Nationalism caused tensions both within and between countries. Ethnic groups within multi-ethnic empires, like the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, sought independence, leading to internal instability. At the same time, nationalism fueled rivalries between established nations, particularly in Europe.
Example: Serbian nationalism was a direct cause of World War I. Serbian nationalists, seeking independence for all Slavic peoples from Austria-Hungary, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, sparking the conflict. More broadly, nationalism also fueled a sense of competition among European nations, each believing in their cultural or military superiority.

CAUSE: Nationalism

The Assassination– SHORT TERM CAUSES

•28th June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. This event was the trigger for the outbreak of WWI

•Austria-Hungary claimed that Serbia was responsible for the assassination

Why did a regionalised conflict between Austria and Serbia in the Balkans result in WWI?????

Austria Hungary’s Ultimatum to Serbia

“July Crisis”

The assassination set off a chain of events which would later cause WW1.

5th July: Germany assured Austria Hungary of her support. Offered a “blank cheque”.

23rd July: A-H made demands to Serbia. This included almost total surrender of Serbian control to A-H

◦Serbia had 48 Hours to reply to the demands

◦Serbia agreed to ALL but 1 demand.

28th July: A-H declared war on Serbia.

ALLIANCES FALL IN

Explain how Nationalism was a cause of WWI.

Causes of WWI

The possibility of European war had existed since the late nineteenth century. What we must investigate is why the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand escalated into World War I.

The events in Sarajevo in 1914 simply ‘lit the tinderbox’ or ignited existing tensions that had existed between the Great Powers for decades.

As a result there is not one agreed upon, solitary cause of WWI. Instead, there are a number of contributing forces including:

ØM- Militarism

ØA – Alliances

ØI – Imperialism

ØN - Nationalism

A.Who does he blame for the war & why? Write these arguments in your books:

B. Write a 200 word persuasive argument that identifies who was to blame for the war. Consider the events prior to and during 1914.

1.Use your workbooks to brainstorm the long and short term WW1 . MAIN

2.Remember PECS Political, Economic, Cultural and Social.

3.Rank these causes- which is most responsible?

4.Create a mind map which explain the causes of WWI.

Who is to blame?

In more detail....short term cause

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand acted as the immediate trigger, but these four long-term causes set the stage for World War I.

How did the assassination trigger events that began the war?

Using the 2 videos >Make a mind map of the causes of WWI

Source Study. How does this cartoon explain the start of WWI?

Label your cartoon. Explain how it represents the start of WWI using the information below.

This cartoon shows how WWI started in a nutshell. figure A represents Serbia, B is Austria, C is Russia, D is Germany, E is Britain and F is America.

A terrorist group from Serbia known as the “Black Hand” was trying to assassinate the Duke, after a failed attempt leaving many of the Duke’s men injured, the duke decided to visit his men at the hospital. On the way there the Duke was assassinated. Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia mobilized troops to defend Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia for being against Austria, Britain wanted to defend Russia and or Serbia, America only joined the fight 1 year before it ended to help Britain.

Serbia is depicted as a child due to the scale of their military compared the other more significant forces such as Germany and Russia. The title is ironic because the cartoon shows countries going to war and the title is “The Chain Of Friendship”, which is verbal irony because it is sarcastic. Sarcasm by definition is meant to hurt another individual and irony is used to convey a message, this cartoon is ironic because it does not hurt anybody and it convert a message on how wars start.