World War I

12.1 World War I Begins

The Start

Cause: The assassination of Franz Ferdinand

June 1914: The Assassination

• Archduke Ferdinand• - Heir to the throne of Austria-

Hungary• Sympathetic to the Slavic Cause• Visited Sarajevo – capital of Bosnia

June 1914: The Assassination

• Archduke Ferdinand• Shot by Gavrilo Princip• - Serbian nationalist – member of the

Black Hand• Also killed wife Sophie• Will Cause: The Great War

Alliance Dominoes

Alliance Dominoes• Austria-Hungary - declared

war on Serbia• Russia – bound by treaty to

Serbia• - declares war on Austria-

Hungary.

Alliance Dominoes• Germany – (ally of Austria

Hungary) declares war on Russia and its ally France• - wants Alsace-Lorraine from

France• Germany declares war on

Belgium to attack France

Alliance Dominoes• Britain – (ally of Belgium and

France) declares war on Germany• Ottoman Empire enters the war

as a Central Power• - Hopes to gain land in the Middle

East

Allied Powers• Great Britain• France• Russia• Italy – remained neutral until 1915

before joining the Allies• United States – remained neutral

until 1917 before joining the Allies

Central Powers• Germany• Austria-Hungary• The Ottoman Empire (Turkey)• Bulgaria

Alliance Dominoes• A local conflict has now ballooned

into a global war….How?• Militarism• Alliances• Imperialism• Nationalism

The Schlieffen Plan Named for designer Alfred von SchlieffenOffensive and DefensiveBased on idea that Germany could not win on two fronts at same time.

Original German Military Strategy

• Quickly defeat France on the “Western Front” before Russia can mobilize – 6 weeks• British forces would be stranded and

unable to cross English channel – destroy them• Then turn focus at Russia on the

“Eastern Front”

The Schlieffen Plan in Action• Germany invaded France through

neutral Belgium (Aug 1914)• =Re-supply and communication

difficult for Germany • Belgian Army defends against

German troops• - Gave French and British forces time

to rush troops to battle

• Germans able to push Allies back to Marne River (France)• First Battle of Marne• -Allies push advancing Germans back 40

miles• - Germans dig deep trenches• -French dig shallow trenches• By the end of 1914 – War is a potential

stalemate = Trench Warfare