The July Crisis

The Shot That Started WWI

The Lead-Up• Tensions had been rising in Europe as nations

attempted to gain more territories and strengthen their positions

• Several small conflicts/events had occurred and been peaceably resolved, but every time, one or both parties had been unhappy with the outcome

• Many nations were facing difficulties that they felt could be resolved favourably through war

• Europe was a “powder keg” waiting for a spark

A Web of Alliances• France• Russia• Britain (they were not 100 %

guaranteed to support Russia or France)

Triple Entente

• Germany• Austro-Hungary• Italy (only agreed to defend the

others if they were attacked)

Triple Alliance

• Britain and Belgium (to defend Belgium’s neutrality)

• Russia and Serbia• Triple Alliance and the Ottoman

Empire (alliance was formed after the war began)

Other Alliances

The Balkan “Powder Keg”

• The Balkans consisted of several small nations, some independent and some that were controlled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire• A growing desire for independence from the Empire created unrest

in the area as Austro-Hungary tried to keep control• Some of the free nations, chiefly Serbia, promoted these

independence movements, despite warnings from Austro-Hungary• Russia had historically been prominent in Balkan affairs and wanted

to maintain its influence in the region. It had a mutual defence treaty with Serbia

• There was great tension in the Balkans as each Empire and nations tried to gain some advantage over the others.

The Spark!

• On June 28, 1914, Arch-Duke Francis Ferdinand (heir to the throne of Austro-Hungary) was assassinated in Bosnia by a Serbian terrorist named Gravilo Princip

• This provided the Austro-Hungarian Empire a chance to crush Serbia and gain a tighter control over the Balkans

• The Austro-Hungarians accused the Serbian government of killing Ferdinand and prepared to invade Serbia

Gravilo Princip (assassin)

Arch-Duke Ferdinand & His Wife

Seems like a “Stand-off”•Austro-Hungary (A-H) threatened to invade Serbia unless she bowed to their will•Russia was committed to defending Serbia in the event of an invasion•Germany had an alliance with A-H and assured them they would support them 100% against Russia (the “blank cheque)•Russia also had an alliance with France, which meant that if anyone attacked Russia, then France would be at war with the attackers

The Schleiffen Plan• Germany always feared being divided in a

“two front war” against Russia and France

• They devised a battle plan that (in theory) would allow them to quickly defeat France first so they could focus on Russia

• This plan involved a quick and massive attack towards Paris through the neutral country of Belgium

• Unfortunately for Germany, Britain had a treaty with Belgium, guaranteeing they would defend them if someone violated their neutrality

• The Germans firmly believed that Britain would not go to war over “a piece of paper”

The “Powder Keg” Explodes• Austria-Hungary, backed by Germany, declared war

on Serbia.• The Russians, defending Serbia, declared war on

Germany/A-H.• In order to avoid a two-front war, Germany

attacked both France and Russia (who were allies).• Following the Schleiffen Plan, Germany moved her

army through Belgium, violating Belgian neutrality• In response, Britain declared war on Germany and

A-H

The EventsFerdinand

AssassinatedJune 28, 1914

Germany grants Austro-Hungary

“Blank Cheque” to deal with Serbia

Austro-Hungary demands Serbia obey

herJuly 23, 1914

Austro-Hungary declares war on Serbia

July 28, 1914

Russia MobilizesJuly 31, 1914

Germany & France Mobilize

August 1, 1914

British warning to Germany regarding Belgian Neutrality

August 3, 1914

Germany invades Belgium and the war

begins!August 4, 1914

The War Begins!

• While the July Crisis and the resulting invasions of Serbia and Belgium started the war, many of the major nations were eager to fight

• Each nation had objectives which they felt would be best accomplished through armed conflict• All of the major nations believed that the war

would be quick, easy and end in their favour – They were ALL wrong!

Objectives• To increase its empire and to dominate Continental

Europe.Germany

• Capture and control the small Balkan states that threatened its border and created ethnic unrest inside the Empire.

Austria-Hungary

• Protect Belgian neutrality, protect its Empire and prevent Germany from controlling a larger share of Continental Europe

Britain

• Maintain a strong role in Balkan affairs and increase feelings of nationalism and loyalty to the Tsar.Russia

• Protect its borders, regain lost territory from Germany (Alsace/Lorraine) and prevent Germany from becoming a greater power in Europe.

France

When Britain declared war on Germany, her entire Empire was

immediately at war as well.This meant that Canada was now at

war with Germany and the other Central Powers

Assignment:

1. Make a list of the 4 main causes of WWI.2. For each “Cause”, list the different parts of the July

Crisis that can be attributed to that “Cause”. –you can do this in point form

3. Choose one of the “Causes” you have listed and write a paragraph (using the point/proof/explanation model) that proves how it contributed to the July Crisis and, consequently, the outbreak of WWI. (Maximum 12 sentences)

e.g. explain the ways in which Militarism played a role in the events of the July Crisis