MANIA

Amy Selvaggio

•Militarism

• Alliances

• Nationalism

• Imperialism

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Nationalism

• Was a unifying force for people within a country, but…

• Created a fierce competition between different countries:– Germany– Austria-Hungary– Great Britain– Russia– Italy– France

• A lot of this competition came from the need for materials and trade markets caused by imperialism

• For example: Germany was challenging Great Britain for industrial power.

Industrialization + Nationalism = Imperialism

We’re #1

Cherio!

• Imperialism + Nationalism = fighting over land– France lost land to Germany in a war

– Russia and Aus.-Hun. Duke it out to dominate Balkans

– Nationalist groups in the Balkans begin to demand freedom

Militarism

• The competition caused by nationalism will eventually lead to a weapons race

• Great power = great military– By 1914 all great powers (except Britain) have a

large armies (Britain had kick-butt Navy)– They also developed plans for mobilization: quick

organization and movement of army

Close proximity causes a chain reaction. If one country built up its army, so did the neighbors

Alliances

• As early as 1870s, Europe’s great powers were forming alliances

• Alliances were designed to keep the peace, but actually pushed Europe into war.

• Let’s begin with Germany…

• Because of the land that France lost to Germany, Otto von Bismarck (leader of Germany’s gov.) saw France as a threat.

• Germany’s goal was to isolate France. – 1879: Dual alliance w/ Aus.-

Hun.– 1882: Triple alliance :

Germany, Aus.-Hun., Italy– 1887: Treaty w/ Russia

There was a flaw in the alliance system:

• Though Bismarck wanted to keep the peace in Europe, he and others knew that the alliances were unstable.

• Many countries tied together because of their loyalty to another country were actually enemies.– For example: Russia and A-H were rivals, competing for

control of the Balkans.

Bismarck Gets the Boot

• In 1890, Kaiser (King) Wilhelm II decided that he didn’t want to share power, so forces Bismarck to resign.– He’s very militaristic– 1890: allows treaty w/

Russia to expire

• Russia decides to ally with France in 1892 and again in 1894

• Now, if anything happened, Germany would have to fight a two-front war

• Germany gets jealous of Great Britain, so begins to build up their colonies and their Navy

• GB gets nervous & expands their Naval fleet– 1904: GB forms entente with France– 1907: GB forms entente with France & Russia-

This was known as the triple entente• This did not mean that GB had to help them in a fight,

but that they would not fight against them.

By 1907:

Triple Alliance

Germany

Austria Hungary

Italy

Triple Entente

Great Britain

France

Russia

Balkans: The Powder Keg of Europe

• By 1900, the Ottoman Empire was falling apart

• Many Balkan regions once under Ottoman control separated and formed new nations:– Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania• (The ethnic and linguistic base of these nations was

Slavic)

• Russia (which had a major Slavic population) supported Serbian nationalism

• A-H felt threatened• Both Russia and A-H hoped to fill the

Leadership role that was left open by the collapse of the Ottoman Emp.

• 1908: A-H annexes Bosnia Herzegovina

• Bos. Herz. Has a large Slavic population

• Their neighbor, Serbia, is outraged (They also have large Slavic population).

• Russia offers to support Bos. Herz. but is not prepared for war

• Germany backs A-H, Russia & Serbia back down

• Serbia gains more territory by 1914 and is eager to take Bos. Herz.

• A-H vows retaliation if Serbs try to take away power

The Spark

• Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne

• June 28, 1914 he and his wife, Sophia visited Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.

• Both Ferdinand and his wife were shot by a Serbian nationalist at point blank range

• Gavrilo Princip, 19 yo• Belonged to a

nationalist group, The Black Hand

• wanted Bosnia to join Serbia.

• They thought that assassinating the Archduke would start a war which would lead to uniting Serbia.

• Austria-Hungary believed that the Serbian gov’t was behind the assassination.

• Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany pledges his support to A-H

• A-H issues an ultimatum to allow AH to enter Serbia to investigate.

• Serbia rejects the ultimatum.

Europe at War

• A-H declares war against Serbia on July 28, 1914.

• The same day, Russia mobilized troops to the A-H border.

• GB, Italy, & Germany urge A-H and Russia to negotiate, but it’s too late.

• Because of the Alliance System, Europe would be plunged into the largest war yet.