Long-Term Causes of World War I

Chapter 29

Long-Term Causes and Results 4 MAIN factors led

to the “war to end all wars”• Militarism• Alliances• Imperialism• Nationalism

Some of the statistics for the “great war”• 7,940,000 dead• 19,536,000 wounded• 6,490,500 prisoners• Estimated

$180,500,000,000 direct cost of the war

• Estimated $151,612,500,000 indirect cost of the war

Imperialism Empire Building Rivalries between European

nations caused by industrialization• Need for resources to produce goods• Need for new markets to sell goods

Examples:• Great Britain wants to strengthen its

empire• France wants control of Morocco• Germany wants to take economic

control of the Ottoman Empire• Austria-Hungary wants control of the

Balkans• Russia wants control of the Black

Sea Competition almost leads to

fighting during the late 19th century

Nationalism France wants Alsace-Lorraine back

from Germany• Lost in the Franco-Prussian War

Slavic Nationalism• Slavs in Serbia wanted to create a

unified Slavic nation• Austria-Hungary feared losing

territory• 1908 Austria-Hungary annexes

Bosnia-Herzegovina Angers Serbs and Russians

Balkan Wars• 1912, Serbia tries to gain Albania

(needed a port)• 1913, Albania becomes independent

Serbia upset, Russia humiliated, and Austria-Hungary worried

Militarism Glorification of war and

the military Military spending and

training increases throughout Europe• New technologies develop

Conscription laws (drafts) called for universal military training in many countries

If one country increased military development, the rest followed

Alliances Triple Alliance

• Otto von Bismarck (Germany) creates a strong alliance with Austria-Hungary

• Italy joins in 1882 Will later leave & join the Allies

Triple Entente• France and Russia develop

an alliance in 1890 (protection from Germany)

• 1904 France and Great Britain create an alliance

• 1907 Great Britain and Russia create an alliance

How does this lead to world war?

All you need now is a spark!

Alliances bring more countries into a fight

Militarism will make a fight bloodier

Nationalism creates conflict

Imperialism creates rivalries