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Nationalsim
A belief in the moral authority and superiority of one’s own country. It also implies that the interests of one’s country are paramount. Pre-war nationalism fuelled rivalry and was a significant cause of the outbreak of World War 1. -
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Imperialism
A political and economic system where powerful nations seek to conquer and rule smaller regions, transferring them into colonies and exploiting their land, resources and people for profit. Imperialism was practised by most European powers in the decades prior to World War I. -
Triple Alliance
The signing of the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia got involved to defend Serbia. Germany seeing Russia mobilizing, declared war on Russia. -
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Militarism
In the late 18th century and early 19th and 20th centuries military power was considered a measure of national and imperial strength. A powerful state needed a powerful military to protect its interests and support its policies. Strong armies and navies were needed to defend the homeland; to protect imperial and trade interests abroad; and to deter threats and rivals. War was avoided where possible but the increase in militarism helped pushed the countires involved in war. -
Advances in Militarism
Militarists were driven by experiences in previous wars, such as the Crimean War, Boer War and Russo-Japanese War. Militarism, combined with new weapons, emerging technologies and developments in industrial production, fuelled a European arms race in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Advances allowed artillery shelling and bombardments to become standard practice along the Western Front during World War I. -
Pan Slavism
Much of the origin of the World War 1 was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria Hungary but instead be part of Serbia. This nationalistic way of thinking led directly to the war. In general nationalism of the various countries contributed to the beginning and the extension of the war in Europe. Each country tried to promote their cultural superiority through dominance and power. -
Imperalistic Empire
Austria-Hungary was an empire ruling over several different regions, ethnic and language groups. Among its regions were Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Galicia, Transylvania, the Tyrol and, after 1908, Bosnia and Herzegovina. -
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by Serb nationalists, including Gavrilo Princip, during an official visit to Sarajevo. Sarajevo, Bosnia was part of Austria-Hungary. The assasination was a protest toward Austria-Hungary having control of Bosnia. Serbia wanted to take over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The death quickly set off a chain reaction of events leading up to the outbreak of World War I. -
Germany's Blank Check to Austria-Hungary
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany supported actions Austria-Hungary chose to take in its conflict with Serbia. The conflict was a rivalry thrown into crisis by the assassination of Ferdinand and his wife by a Serbian nationalist. Kaiser Wilhelm II issued his ‘blank cheque’ to the Austro-Hungarians, which stated that they could proceed as they saw fit and Germany would back them if Russia intervened. Serbia not complying to Austria's ultimatum resulted in the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria. -
World War 1 Begins
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28. After hearing news of Russia’s general mobilization, Germany declared war on Russia. The German army then launched its attack on Russia’s ally, France, through Belgium, violating Belgian neutrality and bringing Great Britain into the war as well. Due to alliances, the war grew to involve Italy, Japan, the Middle East and the United States. -
Allied Powers
The major Allied powers in World War I were Great Britain, France, and the Russian Empire, formally linked by the Treaty of London. Other countries that had been, or came to be, allied by treaty to one or more of those powers. Portugal and Japan became allies by treaty with Britain as well as Italy by theTreaty of London of April 26, 1915. The United States became allies with the above countries after its entry into the war on April 6, 1917. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, the British-owned Lusitania ocean liner was torpedoed without warning.1,198 passengers were killed, including 128 Americans. The German government maintained that the Lusitania was carrying munitions, but the U.S. demanded reparations and an end to German attacks on unarmed passenger and merchant ships. With these attacks, public opinion in the United States began to turn irrevocably against Germany. -
Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare was first introduced when Germany declared area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, would be attacked by the German navy.This prompted President Woodrow Wilson to demand an end to German attacks against unarmed merchant ships.Germany returns to unrestricted submarine warfare and convinced the army, government, and Kaiser Wilhelm, that it is an essential component of German war strategy. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
In the telegram Zimmerman instructed Count Johann von Bernstorff, to offer significant financial aid to Mexico if it agreed to enter any future U.S-German conflict as a German ally. If victorious in the conflict, Germany also promised to restore to Mexico the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.When President Wilson became aware of the telegram he proposed to Congress that the U.S. should start arming its ships against possible German attacks and made the telegram known across U.S. -
US entry into the World War 1
When World War I erupted in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson pledged neutrality for the United States. Germanys policy of unrestricted submarine warfare and its continued attacks against American ships swayed the United States toward American entrance into World War I. President Wilson confronted Congress and called for a declaration of war against Germany. Four days later, his request was granted. America’s entrance into the war marked a turning point in the war and helped the Allies to victory. -
The end of WW1 & Post WW1 effects
World War I took the life of more than 9 million soldiers. Civilian casualties caused indirectly by the war numbered close to 10 million. The two nations most affected were Germany and France, each of which sent some 80 percent of their male populations into battle. The war also marked the fall of four imperial dynasties:Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia and Turkey. Heavy reperations, devasting econimc infastructure and political tenasion lead to a depression in America and Germany. -
Treaty of Versailles
The treaty, negotiated and written by the Allied Powers required Germany to make significant territorial concessions. These were primarily along its eastern and western borders. The negotiations revealed a split between the French, who wanted to dismember Germany to make it impossible for it to renew war with France, and the British and Americans, who did not want to create pretexts for a new war as well as set up a League of Nations to solve diplomatic -
The Dawes Plan
The goal of the Dawes Plan was to re-float Weimar Germany’s economy.Headed by Charles G Dawes the Reparation Commission formed a committee to review the European powers stalemate over German reparations. Germany’s annual reparation payments would be reduced, increasing over time as its economy improved and was able to pay the full amount. U.S. banks lended Germany enough money to meet its reparation payments to countries. These countries used their payments to service their war debts to the U.S. -
The Young Plan
A committee of experts was formed to devise a final settlement of the German reparations problem under the chairmanship of Owen D.Young, a member of the Dawes committee. Owen proposed a plan that reduced the total amount of reparations demanded of Germany to almost $29 billion, payable over 58 years. Foreign supervision of German finances ceased and the Young Plan established a Bank for International Settlements, designed to facilitate the payment of reparations. -
The Great Depression
The stock market crash marked the beginning of the Great Depression. Soon after banks collaped as frightened depositers tried to withdraw their money. Causes of the Great Depression were small demand for farmers huge surpluses of American crops, the uneven distribution of the nation's wealth and acess to easy credit, which caused major debt. -
The Rise of HItler
The worldwide economic depression strongly impacted Germany and millions of people were out of work.Germany also had a weak government.These conditions provided the chance for the rise of a new leader, Adolf Hitler, and his party, the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or Nazi party. He promised the disenchanted a better life and a new Germany.
