The Causes of the First World War

The Causes of WWI. Alliance System/ The Balkans/ Colonial problems

THE ALLIANCE SYSTEMTensions

The Alliance System• Draw a diagram of the alliances between the following

countries (as they stood in 1914):• Great Britain• Italy• France• Russia• Germany• Serbia• USA• Austria Hungary

How did they change during the war?

What dates can you put on them?

Why did they join this complex system of alliances?

What was the Triple Alliance (4 marks)

Italy stayed neutral in 1914, and joined the

Triple Entente in 1915.

CAUSATION 6 MARK QUESTIONSExplain why the Triple Entente was formed in 1907 (6 marks)

Explain why a system of alliance was formed before the outbreak of WWI in 1914 (6 marks)

The USA stayed

isolated until 1917.

How did the Alliance system make war more likely?

• Another 6 mark explain question, although this one is a bit tougher as it deals with consequence. The alliances between Germany and Austria-Hungary and

France and Russia could lead to direct conflicts between those powers.

Both sets of alliances were partly set up in response to the other: meaning an escalation of tensions before any events leading to war had arose.

Both sets would likely be dragged into a conflict (as the assassination of the Archduke would prove).

It also gave both sets assurances and guarantees of support, which would cause them to act more aggressively (as is the case with the actions of Austria-Hungary in the Balkans).

COLONIAL PROBLEMSMore Tensions

Issues in the Colonies• The Actions of Kaiser Wilhelm II in Morocco:• 1905: visited Morocco (Tangiers) and made a speech

encouraging it to seek independence from the French (who were looking at taking control of it).

• Why did the Kaiser do this? (6 marks) Wanted to compete with Britain and France by creating an

African Empire (Weltpolitik)- this would give him an interest in the region.

Wanted to test the Entente Cordiale (recently signed in 1905).

• Conference held in 1906. Britain and France supported each other against Germany.

Cartoons

Further issues in Morocco

• 1911: Agadir crisis• France tried to take over Morocco and said that it

would compensate Germany for loss of trade.• Kaiser showed opposition by sending a gunboat to

the Moroccan port of Agadir to indicate opposition.

• Another conference held: Britain and France supported each other again.

• Things became much more tense.

THE BALKANSProblems in this area of Europe

A politically unstable region

Ottoman Empire (Turkey) collapsing

leaving a power vacuum.

Russia and Austria-Hungary wanted

influence/ control over the region.

Serb nationalism was rising: Serbs and Slavs throughout the region.

Russia (another Slav nation) therefore believed they had

common issues: Tsar “father of all Slavs”

(Pan Slavism)

Annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908

• Austria-Hungary annexed (took over) Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908.

• Angered the Serbs (3million Serbs in Bosnia and wanted it to form part of a Greater Serbia).

• Angered the Russians, but as Germany guaranteed to support Austria-Hungary and Russia was still recovering from a war in 1905, Russia backed down.

• Universal condemnation of Austria-Hungary’s actions: even from the Germans.

Balkan Wars 1912-1913

• Ottoman Empire (Turkey) continued to decline. Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece formed the Balkan League and captured some territory.

• Britain and Germany worked together to end the conflict. Serbia gained territory and confidence.

• Germany may also have been lulled into a false sense of security: that Britain would not get involved in a conflict over the Balkans.

• Austria-Hungary meanwhile just want a reason to crush Serbia.• Handily provided by the assassination of the Archduke Franz

Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914.

A cartoon

10 mark question: Which of the following is more responsible for the outbreak of war in 1914?

a) The Alliance Systemb) Colonial Problemsc) Tensions in the Balkans