Causes of WWI

1. Causes of WWI

2. Long-Term Causes • Economic Competition – The race for markets, spheres of influence, and raw materials. • Expansionist Rivalries - Struggle for political colonies and strategic locations. • Militarism – Policy of glorifying the military and staying prepared for war • Nationalism – Extreme dedication and loyalty to one’s country

3. Short-Term Causes • Entangling alliances pulled everyone into the war • Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) • Germany gave Austria-Hungary a “blank check” • Triple Entente (England, France, and Russia) – Treaty of Friendship • Each “concerned” about power of others

4. June 28 in SarajevoArchduke Franz Ferdinand is Assassinated • Heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand & wife, Sophie von Chotkovato,are assassinated on June 28, 1914 • Assassin is GavriloPrincip, a member of the “Young Bosnians”, a group aligned with the Serbian terrorist group, “The Black Hand”.

5. The Assassin Gavrilo Princip

6. Domino Effect • (1) June 28, 1914 – Austrian Archduke Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia • A-H issues an ultimatum to allow Austria forces to investigate and stop anti-Austrian activities

7. Domino Effect • (2) Serbia accepts most of the ultimatum, but Austria-Hungary declares war on 28 July 1914. • (3) Russia announces the mobilization of their army to defend Serbia • (4) Germany declares war on Russia on Aug. 1st

8. Domino Effect • (5) France declares war on Germany on Aug 3rd • (6) Germany invades Belgium to attack France on Aug 4th • (7) Britain declares war on Germany on Aug 4th

9. Domino Effect • Italy decides that its chances to gain land is better with France, Britain, and Russia • Most of the fighting takes place in Western Europe, even though the conflict started in the Balkans in Eastern Europe

10. European Military Alliances 1914

11. The U.S. and WWI • United States • President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality • The official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.

12. 6 July, 1914 The 'Blank Check' …Finally, as far as concerns Serbia, His Majesty, of course, cannot interfere in the dispute now going on between Austria-Hungary and that country, as it is a matter not within his competence. The Emperor Francis Joseph may, however, rest assured that His Majesty will faithfully stand by Austria-Hungary, as is required by the obligations of his alliance and of his ancient friendship. BETHMANN-HOLLWEG

13. Unraveling the Origins of the Alliances

14. Otto Von Bismarck Bismarck, first Prime Minister of Prussia and then Chancellor of the German Empire (once he had assembled it), set about the construction of Germany through high politics judiciously assisted by war against Austria and France. Desired to achieve the creation of a German Empire out of the collection of smaller German states largely led by Austria's influence

15. Otto Von Bismarck engineered war with Austria in 1866 over disputed territory in the duchy of Holstein (much against the wishes of his own Kaiser). “7 Weeks War” Bismarck extracted from Austria not only Schleswig and Holstein, but also Hanover, Hesse, Nassau and Frankfurt, creating the North German Federation

16. Otto Von Bismarck Now to unite the south of Germany under the Prussian Banner Bismarck will create another war, this time w/France Franco-Prussian War of 1871 France lost Alsace and Lorraine, was forced to pay reparations (around $1 billion today), and the southern German states agreed to an alliance with their northern counterparts,.

17. Bismarck's Need for Alliances Having achieved his aim, he now wanted to protect it. He was acutely aware that France would be itching for revenge. Regaining Alsace and Lorraine will be one of the main objective for France in 1914

18. The Three Emperors League & Dual Alliance 1873, the Three Emperors League, which tied Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia to each other's aid in time of war. Only lasted until Russia's withdrawal five years later in 1878, leaving Bismarck with a new Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879. Russia left b/c at the Congress of Vienna, Bismarck tried to maintain peace betw. England and Russia

19. The Triple Alliance Two years after Germany and Austria-Hungary concluded their agreement, Italy was brought into the fold with the signing of the Triple Alliance in 1881. Besides the usual support for each other, they also agreed that should any of the three determine to launch a 'preventative' war (a euphemism if ever there was one), the others would remain neutral.

20. British Emergence From Splendid Isolation Wilhelm II, proved far more ambitious in establishing "a place in the sun" for Germany. Wilhelm, encouraged by naval minister Tirpitz, embarked upon a massive shipbuilding exercise intended to produce a naval fleet the equal of Britain's Determined to outstrip Germany, ENG succeeded, building in just 14 months - a record - the enormous Dreadnought battleship, completed in December 1906.  By the time war was declared in 1914 Germany could muster 29 battleships, Britain 49.

21. HMS Dreadnought Battleship 1906

22. Cordial Agreements: Britain, France - and Russia Two years later Britain signed the Entente Cordiale with France.  This 1904 agreement finally resolved numerous leftover colonial squabbles. Three years on, in 1907, Russia joined what became known as the Triple Entente

23. The Balkans 1908 • Balkans had been sought after by Germany, Russia, etc. • Two important events in 1908: • Young Turks Rebellion • A-H annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina

24. The Balkan Wars 1912-13 • By the early 20th century, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire • The Second Balkan War broke out on 16 June 1913 when Bulgaria was dissatisfied over the division of the spoils in Macedonia, made in secret by its former allies, Serbia and Greece • Treaty of Bucharest, Bulgaria lost most of the territories it had gained in the First Balkan War.

25. Archduke Franz Ferdinand A reactionary, wants to reestablish absolutism Favored Slav unity to offset Hungarian influences. Third Balkan War underway in 1914: A-H vs. Serbia

26. A Family Affair The British monarch George V's predecessor, Edward VII, was the German Kaiser's uncle and, via his wife's sister, uncle of the Russian Tsar as well. His niece, Alexandra, was the Tsar's wife. http://www.royalist.info/execute/tree?person=699

27. The Great War1914-1918 The Practice of Industrial Warfare

28. The Western/ Franco-Belgian Front

29. Aims of WWI Germany: annex Russian territory, northern parts of France, Luxembourg A-H: regain control of ethnic minority groups w/in its borders, and more land in the Balkans. Russia: Slav protectorate, Poland, Annex Ukrainian part of A-H, reorg A-H France & England: Constatinople, Alsace and Lorrain, New borders w/ GER, divide up Ottoman lands.

30. Germany and the Schlieffen Plan • named after Count Alfred von Schlieffen • was both offensive and defensive in nature. • Assumed a two-front war • Schlieffen assumed - largely correctly, as it turned out - that it would take six weeks or longer for the Russians to effectively mobilize their forces • Schlieffen devised a strategy for knocking France out of the war within those six weeks • Commit most troops to invade Paris, leaving just enough to hold back the Russians • Once France was defeated, troops head back east to face russia. • Wilhelm II “Paris for lunch, St. Petersburg for dinner….”

31. France’s Plan XVII Purely offensive in nature made extensive use of the belief in the mystical élan vital (fighting spirit) called for an advance by four French Armies into Alsace-Lorraine Northern forces advanced into Germany via the southern Ardennes forests, or else move north-east into Luxembourg and Belgium. French command assumed Brit involvement would keep GER from invading Belgium.

32. GER’s Schlieffen Plan and FRA’s Plan XVII

33. Weaknesses of Schlieffen Plan and Plan XVII • French attack on Alsace's and Lorraine was a debacle. • Schlieffen Plan almost worked • The timing was not the problem though • Getting supplies to such a large force deep w/in French territory became an insurmountabale obstacle.

34. Austria-Hungary: Plans B and R Austria-Hungary assumed that the coming war would be limited to Serbia. Plan B (for Balkans) detailed the requirement for six Austro-Hungarian armies in the field, three to invade Serbia, with a further three guarding the Russian border to dissuade an attack from that quarter. Plan R (for Russia) essentially revised Plan B, allowing for a greater volume of troops to guard against Russian assistance for the Serbs in the south, whilst assuming German activity in the north.

35. Russia: Plans G, A and 19 • two very different plans for war • Plan G assumed that Germany would launch the war with a full-scale attack against Russia • Plan 19 or Plan A: • Assumed GER would invade FRA first • two Russian armies would advance into East Prussia and to Silesia en route to central Germany.  Russia would at the same time make use of a fortress defense against invading forces.

36. The Battle of Liege Zeppelin attack over Liege the Battle of Liege ran for twelve days from 5-16 August 1914, and resulted in surprisingly heavy losses upon the German invasion force by the numerically heavily outnumbered Belgians.

37. The First Battle of the Marnes The German army advanced rapidly and deeply into France found themselves physically exhausted and far ahead of their supply lines. Recognizing their vulnerability, the Germans pulled up twenty-five miles short of Paris. Now it was France's chance to attack. French General Joffre ordered a stand along the Marne.

38. “Race to the Sea” and the Beginnings of Trench Warfare Following the first Battle of the Marne, both sides tried to out-flank one another in an effort to swing around the other's defensives. Began building trenches along the way

39. Trench Warfare “No Man’s Land”

40. Trench Warfare

41. War IsHELL !!

42. Weapons of the “Great War”: • Tanks • Poison gas • Dogfights • Machine guns

43. Machine Guns

44. Krupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun

45. Tank Prototype “Little Willie”

46. Airplanes

47. Dogfights

48. American Flying Ace Eddie Rickenbacker and his plane German Flying Ace, the “Red Baron”

49. Zeppelins

50. FlameThrowers Grenade Launchers