Causes of WWI• Nationalism and
Imperialism• Balkan Powder Keg
– Serbia/Russia– PanSlavism– Sarajevo –the Black Hand
• Militarism• Mobilization• System of Alliances
– Triple Entente – Allied Powers
– Triple alliance – Central Powers
The Great WarWorld War IMain Causes
Alliances• A union or agreement to cooperate between nations
• Designed to balance power in Europe
• Alliances assured total peace or total war
“The game of the day,” 1879
• The political, military, or economic domination of one country over other countries or colonies
Imperialism
“The game of the day,” 1879
Nationalism
• A love for ones country, Patriotism combined with a sense of superiority
• A uniting force• Called for
conquering the inferior nations or peoples
The Balkan Powder Keg
• Decline of the Ottoman Empire left a power vacuum in the Balkans
• Pan-Slavism– Serbia wants to unite all Slavic
people in the Balkans– The Black Hand is a Serbian
Nationalist Group working in Austria Hungary trying to break off Bosnia
The SPARK
•Assassination of Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Hungary
– The Arch-Duke is the Crown Prince of Austria Hungary
– Gavrilo Princip is the Assassin– Gavrilo Princip is a member of
the Black Hand
The Dominos begin to fall•Austria Hungary Issues a Harsh Ultimatum to Serbia•Serbia aggress with all but one demand•Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia with German consent•Russia mobilizes against Austria•Germany Attacks Russia and France•Great Britain declares War on Germany