The Great War 1914-1918
• In Europe, military buildup, nationalistic feelings, and rival alliances set the stage for a continental war
Militarism
• Policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war– Having a large, strong standing army made
citizens feel patriotic– Others were frightened by the potential
disturbance of peace
Militarism cont.
• ~ European nations believed to be truly great, they needed a powerful military, leading to the rise of a dangerous European arms race…
• by 1914→ all powers had large standing armies– EXCEPT Great Britain
• Military experts stressed the importance of being able to quickly organize and move troops in case of war– Generals in each country developed highly detailed
plans for such mobilization
ALLIANCES
• Growing rivalries and mistrust had led to the creation of several military alliances among Great Powers
• Designed to keep peace in Europe→ instead it helped push the continent into war
1. The Alliance System1. The Alliance System
Triple EntenteTriple Entente::Triple EntenteTriple Entente:: Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::
Alliance System
• Serbian assassins kill Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Austro-Hungarian thrown)
• Austria-Hungry declares war on Serbia• Russia (allied with Serbia) declares war on
Austria-Hungry• Germany (allied with Austria-Hungry) declares
war on Russia first, then France• When German troops cross Belgium to get to
France, Great Britain (allied with Belgium) declares war on Germany
Nationalism
• Nationalism→ deep devotion to one’s nation; can serve as a unifying force within a country
• Can also cause intense competition among nations, with each seeking to overpower the other
• France: longed to regain its position as Europe’s leading power; wanted to recover provinces lost to Germany in Franco-Prussian War 1870 (Alsace & Lorraine)
• Germany: Proud of empire’s new military & industrial might
NationalismNationalism
• Russia: Russian duty to lead & defend all Slavs• Balkans: Rising nationalism in multinational
empires (Austria-Hungary & Ottoman Empire) “Balkan Powder Keg”
• Serbia- hoped to absorb Slavic population on the Balkan Peninsula-Russia supported
• Austria-Hungary→ opposed it, fearing that efforts to form a Slavic state would stir rebellion amongst its own Slavic population
Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914
Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914
The“Powder
Keg”of Europe
The“Powder
Keg”of Europe
Imperialism
• ~ European powers continued to compete for colonization in Africa and Asia…
• Push for imperialism often pushed European nations to the brink or war– sense of rivalry and mistrust of one another
continued to deepen
ASSASSINATION
• A Shot Rings Throughout Europe:• ~ Amidst all this turmoil in Europe, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, visit Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia to inspect army maneuvers…
• June 28, 1914→ after escaping an attempt on their life through a bomb…the couple can’t escape death twice and were shot dead
• Gavrilo Princip→ 19-year old Serbian assassin• Member of the Black Hand→ secret society
committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule