The Great War

The First World War1914-1918

The Great War

The First World War is also known as The Great War because it had had such an impact on the world:o It was the first war to affect all of the major nations of

the world.o So many technological advances were made.o It took the lives of more than 8 million soldiers and

changed the lives of millions more.

Taking Sides

On one side of the war were the Central Powers: o Austria-Hungaryo Germanyo Turkey

On the other side were the Allies: o France o Russia o Great Britain

oBritain’s commonwealth countries, including Canada, Australia, India, South Africa.

The United States was also an Allied Power, but they didn’t join the war until 1917. Italy and

Japan joined later too.

At the time, everyone thought the war would end quickly, but they had four long years of

fighting ahead.

Assignment:

Follow the instructions given to color the Map of a Divided Europe. Make sure you secure this map into your binders.

Yes, you have to answer the Quick Question.

Causes of WWI

As we take a look at the MAIN causes of the First World War, complete the handout “Causes of

the Great War.”

The First World War was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914.

Conflicts had been raging in Europe for years, but this was the last straw.

On a trip in Sarajevo, someone threw a grenade into Ferdinand’s car. Luckily, he deflected it with his hand and it blew up behind them.

They decided to continue on to the hospital to visit injured soldiers like planned, but their driver made a wrong turn. Someone was there waiting with a gun.

The assassin was this man, Gavrilo Princip, a member of The Black Hand. He was only 19 years old.

Four MAIN Causes

Although the assassination of Franz Ferdinand triggered the war, there were other problems that caused the war:1. Militarism2. Alliances3. Imperialism4. Nationalism

1. Militarism

Militarism is a belief that a country must build up their army to be bigger and better than their neighbours in case they need to attack or are attacked.

England and Germany were in competition to build the best naval power at the time.

HMS Dreadnoughthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyyGTZMUAtE

HMS Dreadnought

SMS Rhineland

SMS Rhineland

2. Alliances

An alliance is an agreement between two or more countries to help each other out when needed.

Central Powers Allied PowersSaid if they got attacked, the others would have their back.

Said they’d help by giving money and armaments. (Armaments are weapons and supplies the army would need to fight)

3. Imperialism

Imperialism is the practice of getting more power and wealth by taking control of new land or territories to build an Empire.

European powers like Britain, France and Germany were scrambling to take control of territories in Africa and Asia. The more land you controlled, the bigger “Super Power” you were.

4. Nationalism

Nationalism is when citizens of a country exhibit strong loyalty and devotion to their country.

People of Austria-Hungary were furious over the death of Franz Ferdinand and wanted revenge.

Now that we’ve talked about the MAIN causes of WWI, make sure you have the “Causes of the Great War” sheet completed before we

move on.

You’ll need it for the test.