Causes of WW1. The Spark: Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Prince of Austria-Hungary Archduke + wife Sophie

Causes of WW1

The Spark: Archduke Franz Ferdinand,Prince of Austria-Hungary

• Archduke + wife Sophie

June 28, 1914Archduke Ferdinand + wife

Sophie assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia

Why?

•Archduke’s visit to Bosnia was controversial

•Bosnia > part of Austro-Hungarian Empire

•neighbouring Serbia claimed it as part of “Greater Serbia”, b/c many Bosnians considered themselves Serbian

•killer: Gavrillo Princip, a Serbian nationalist of the Black Hand

•Can the shooting of one man start a world war?

•Or, were there other long-term factors involved?

Background• Crumbling Empires:

Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian

What modern-day countries had once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian

Empires?

1914 Europe 2013

MAIN

•Militarism

•Alliances

•Imperialism

•Nationalism

MAIN - Nationalism: intense loyalty towards one’s

own country or culture.* a powerful force

•Many nationalities w’in the Crumbling Empires resented being dominated by a foreign power

•they wanted independence (political and cultural)

• this caused many ___________ in the region

• Can you think of any modern day examples of this?

Minority groups in Austro-Hungary

Modern issues of Nationalism

MAIN

•some countries felt vulnerable to attack and formed alliances in the early 1900’s.

•Alliances: agreements to support one another in the event of an invasion by another country

Triple Alliance

•Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy (Italy was part of the alliance, but joined WW1 later)

•also known as Central Powers

Triple Entente

•England, France, Russia

•surrounded Germany in the hopes of decreasing chance of war...which had the opposite effect...

•also called Allies

Eve of WW1

MAIN - Militarism

•massive build up of armaments and armies in early 1900’s (Germany especially...)

Militarism (con’t)•all countries were trying to maintain

the balance of power: remain equal strength in military and alliances to competition (“keeping up with the Jones’ mentality”)

• eg: Germany and Britain Navy competition - building up their Navy competing against one another

• by 1914 - both BRIT + GER had MANY warships. They were ready for war!

•Who are the players in this cartoon?What do you think they are doing?

MAIN - Imperialism•Imperialism: acquisition of

overseas territories.

•late 1800’s - Europe’s race for Africa

•Africa rich in gold, diamonds, ivory

•European countries challenged eachother for the rights to overseas territories and those territories’ resources

Scramble for Africa, 1914

Imperialism Asia