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Nationalism
Nationalism was patriotism intensified. The tendencies of nationalists were to honor their country and their cultures and placed their interests above other countries. Nationalism was fuelled by newspapers, conquests and rivalry, and rhetoric. The expansion and flourish of the British empire sparked their nationalism. German nationalism was a new idea and was encouraged as Germany expanded. Rising nationalism caused tension between European countries. -
Imperialism
Imperialism is the act of a powerful nation or state that seizes territories outside their borders and decides to govern them as their own colonies. Many European nations were racing to build their empire. The British Empire was the largest at the time. Many countries fought over territory in Africa to try and increase the size of their empire. The Ottoman Empire also was deteriorating, which attracted many European powers. This caused imperial instability, leading to tensions rising in Europe. -
Militarism
Militarism is the belief in a country among its people that military capability should be kept strong in case of the need to defend themselves. Between the years 1910 to 1914, military and army expenditure among European nations increased dramatically. The increase allowed the countries to improve their battleships and prepare more armies. The Entente powers had cooperative military discussions in secret. So, by 1914, all of the European powers were ready for war. -
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was planned by seven Bosnian Serbs as he and his wife, Sophie, traveled to Sarajevo. The first attempt to assassinate him that day was the first conspirator throwing a bomb at his car and missing. The second attempt was by another conspirator on their way home, shooting not only Ferdinand in the neck, but also shooting and killing Sophie. This attack angered Austria-Hungary so they declared war on Serbia, which then led to Germany declaring war on Russia. -
Germany's Blank Check to Austria-Hungary
The start of the blank check began when Austria-Hungary requested formal support from Germany in their risky venture to declare war against Russia. Austria-Hungary sent a representative to go and speak to Kaiser Wilhelm the Second to discuss Russia. The Kaiser did not believe that Russia would not respond militarily. He believed they were not prepared for war. The Kaiser hoped to work things out diplomatically. But, he said that Germany would help fight off attackers if Russia did respond. -
WWI begins
WW1 began after Ferdinand was assassinated. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia, Germany declared war on France, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia, and Serbia declared war on Germany. The first battle of the war was in Tannenberg. This battle was fought between Russia and Germany. -
Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of warfare in which freighters and tanks are sunk without warning by submarines. The Germans used this tact for their naval warfare. This is what brought the Lusitania down. The United States broke off relations with Germany, once the latter implemented their submarine warfare once again. Germany argued that it was a war tactic and an aggressive defense. Once the Lusitania sank, the United States entered into World War 1 against Germany. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The sinking of the Lusitania led to the United State's involvement in World War 1. The Lusitania contained 114 American passengers. As the ship was passing Ireland at 2:10 pm, a German U-20 submarine fired a torpedo straight into her side. A second explosion occurred of a mysterious origin. Most passengers did not even have a chance to escape on the lifeboats. America had rising animosity towards Germany. The Germans said they would not sink without prior warning. -
Alliances
When two or more nations form an agreement it is called an alliance. During World War 1, the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance were the two most influential alliances. Although, instead of averting war, these alliances were one of the causes because they furthered militarized alliances. The Triple Entente was formed in 1907 between Britain, France, and Russia. The Triple Alliance was formed in 1882 between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was one of the causes that led the United States into WWI. It was sent from the German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmerman, to the German ambassador of Mexico, Von Eckhardt. It was deciphered by British cryptographers. In the telegram it said that if Mexico joined the German cause, the United States territory would be offered up. This triggered the United Sates to officially declare war on Germany. -
US entry into the war
The United States entered the war for many reasons. The biggest factor to enter the war for Wilson was Germany's resumption of submarine attacks. Although, the Zimmerman note was the final thing that pushed the United states over the edge. The US officially declared war on Germany on December 7, 1917. The United States' entry in the war greatly affected the outcome of the allies. -
Treaty of Versailles
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Effects of WWI
World War I ended on November 11, 1918 and left many effects. For example, many of Europe's countries were rearranged and reformed. In place of Austria-Hungary, new nations were formed; such as, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. The Ottoman Turks were able to retain the country of Turkey and Poland was reconstituted. There were 37,466,904 casualties from all countries. There were 8,528,831 people killed during the war. -
Dawes Plan and Young Plan
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Great Depression
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Rise of Hitler
