Murder in Bosnia!!!!!

The Great War Begins!

The Inside Story…How did an archduke’s trip lead to war?

• It seemed like a bad idea for Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand to make a trip to the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. After all Austria had taken over Bosnia and Herzegovina just six years earlier, and many Bosnians were still bitterly opposed to Austrian rule.

• Bosnia was also home to many Serbs and ethnic Slavs who were equally outraged by Austria’s actions. Serbian leaders hoped to expand Serbia by uniting the ethnic Slavs in Bosnia, but Austria- Hungary stood in the way. Now the future rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was coming to pay a visit!

Looking into the eyes of an assassin!Fateful Day: June 28, 1914

• Franz Ferdinand’s visit to Sarajevo fell on June 28 (1914) which was also St. Vitus Day, a holiday that symbolized Serbian unity. Members of a Serbian terrorist group known as the Black Hand plotted to kill Franz Ferdinand.

• On the day the archduke visited Sarajevo, seven members of the Black Hand positioned themselves around the city to watch for him. One would-be assassin, 19 year-old Gavrilo Princip, had just stepped out of a sandwich shop when Franz Ferdinand’s car pulled up in front of him. Unable to believe his luck, Princip grabbed his pistol and fired, killing both the archduke and the archduke’s wife, Sophie. This assassination started a chain of events that, within weeks, would pull most of Europe into the largest war the world had ever seen!

Europe on the Brink of War

4 M.A.I.N. Causes

•Militarism•Alliances• Imperialism•Nationalism

Militarism• Throughout the late 1800s and

early 1900s, European countries began a massive military build-up (armed forces and navies)

• Caused mostly by the desire to protect overseas colonies from other nations.

• Created intense anxiety where even a minor disagreement had the potential to result in armed conflict

• Was especially strong in Germany

Alliances: Who’s got your back?

• Served as extra insurance/ protection in an age of aggression.

• Intended to create power combinations that NO one would dare attack

• Gradually, 2 would emerge ====== l

Now for some background…

Triple Alliance

• The first of the two to form• Traced back to Bismarck – Knew that France longed to avenge its defeat in the

Franco-Prussian War. – Was certain that France would not attack without help,

Bismarck signed treaties with other powers.Formed the Triple Alliance in 1882 with Italy and

Austria-HungaryWould become known as “The Central Powers” (note

location)

Triple Entente

• Rival bloc that would eventually be known as the Allies

• Formed in 1884 between France and Russia• Was a reaction to the creation of the Triple Alliance• 1904: Britain and France signed an entente, a

nonbinding agreement to follow common policies.– Though NOT as formal as a treaty, it led to close military

and diplomatic ties.– Britain later signed a similar agreement with Russia.

And the wheeling and dealing continues….

• Germany signed a treaty with the Ottoman Empire.• Britain drew closer to Japan.• The growth of rival alliances, like militarism, increased

international tensions.• A local conflict could easily mushroom into a general war!

ImperialismAge of Imperialism: 1870 - 1914

• The quest to build empires in the late 1800s and early 1900s had created much rivalry and ill will across Europe.

• Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain each saw themselves as great imperial nations.

• They believed they could not afford to stand by while a rival empire gained power.

Nationalism

• Strong devotion to one’s national group or culture.• Helped fuel imperialism• Most visible struggle for power was in the Balkan

Peninsula – a region of SE Europe that was hope to many ethnic groups.

• In the early 1900s, some of these ethnic groups were trying to break free from the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled the Balkans for hundreds of years but was now nearing collapse.

Nationalism continued…

• IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Some of the strongest tensions in the Balkans were in Serbia.

• At the time, Serbia was an independent nation.• HOWEVER, many ethnic Serbs lived outside

Serbia in other areas of the Balkans.• Serbian leaders wanted to expand the nation’s

borders and united all their people in a “greater Serbia.”

Follow the progression!

• Austria-Hungary, the powerful empire to the north of Serbia, opposed any Serbian expansion, fearing that such growth might encourage ethnic groups with Austria-Hungary to rebel.

• Tensions would intensify between Austria-Hungary and Serbs during the 1900s!

Checking for understanding

• What are the M.A.I.N. causes of WW I?• M is for• Militarism• A is for• Alliances• I is for• Imperialism• N is for• Nationalism

Here enters Archduke Franz Ferdinand!

» In the midst of the tensions and resentment the Serbs felt toward Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand visits the Bosnian city of Sarajevo!

» Austrians were viewed as foreign oppressors» June is an important month in Serbian History a. June 28, 1389 – Serbia conquered by

Ottoman Empire b. June 28, 1912 – Serbia freed itself

Franz Ferdinand and Sophie are shot dead!

The Impact

• Princip was arrested• Aging Austrian Emperor, Francis Joseph, was

shocked by his nephew’s death but was reluctant to go to war.

• However, once it was discovered that Princip was a Serb, the Austrian gov’t saw the assassination as an excuse to crush Serbia for good!

A Harsh Ultimatum

• Austria sent Serbia a harsh ultimatum, or final set of demands.

• To avoid war, Serbia MUST end all anti-Austrian agitation AND punish any Serbian official involved in the murder plot.

• It MUST allow Austria to join the investigation.

The inevitable happens!

• Serbia agreed to most, but not all, of the terms of Austria’s ultimatum.

• This partial refusal gave Austria the opportunity it was seeking.

• On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia!

Alliances kick in!

• Conflict spreads quickly– Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum-

must end all anti-Austrian protest and punish any Serbian official involved in the assassination• Serbia agrees to most of the demands• July 28, Austria declares war on Serbia–1. Sets off a chain of alliances – Germany

backed Austria, Serbia sought help from Russia

The Great War Begins!• 2. Russia’s Czar Nicholas II asked the Austrian Emperor

William II to soften his demands; Austria refuses; Russia mobilizes for war• 3. Germany declares war on Russia• 4. Russia turns to France; Germany demands France stay

out; France refuses and Germany declares war on France• 5. August 3, 1914: Germany invades (neutral) Belgium to

get to France => outraged, Britain declares war on Germany!

In a flash, the whole continent was at war!!!!!