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CAUSES OF THE GREAT WAR (WORLD WAR I)
NO ONE CAUSE…
There is no one answer for the cause of World War I There are however many contribu8ng which factors which led to a war in which every part of the world was embroiled
MAIN CAUSES OF THE WAR
• M • A • I • N
ilitarism
lliances
mperialism
ationalism
MAIN CAUSES OF THE WAR
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
MILITARISM
• The Allied nations believed that strong militaries (armies and navies) would deter an enemy attack • Unfortunately, when well-armed
nations had conflicts, war became a choice for action
MILITARISM
• Arms race • Each country tries to build a larger and more deadly war machine than its rivals ….. Size of armies and navies determines who is the most powerful na8on • When Germany began to build up its navy – Britain saw this as a threat to its own navel supremacy
MILITARISM
Big Bertha • Both Germany and Austria secretly specialized in the produc8on of enormous howitzers and mortars. q Fired a shell weighing over one ton
q Produced in the Krupps factory
MAIN CAUSES OF THE WAR
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
ALLIANCES
• Triple Entente (The Allies)
• Triple Alliance (The Central Powers)
• Nations allied together for protection against threatening enemies
• Such defensive alliances were intended to prevent wars; however, the opposite happened
France
Britain Russia
Germany
Italy Austria- Hungary 1907 1882
MAIN CAUSES OF THE WAR
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
IMPERIALISM
• Many large and/or powerful nations had colonies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America • Frequent quarrels between these powerful nations
were caused by their colonial rivalries (ex: wanting more territory) • Today … imperialism has come to be associated
with the notion of industrial nations expanding their influence over less developed regions of the world, with little interest or concern for the development of that nation
IMPERIALISM
• During the late 19th and 20th centuries, imperialism gained momentum • As countries became more industrialized they were increasingly interested in gaining colonies → intense compe88on for: • Raw materials • Markets • Glory
MAIN CAUSES OF THE WAR
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
NATIONALISM
• Nationalism – a feeling of deep loyalty to one’s people and homeland • Many nations during the early twentieth
century promoted “patriotism” • Some small regions (ex: Bosnia) wanted to
create the i r own nat ions ( th rough separation or amalgamation) • Such plans caused tension – brought about
instability and mistrust amongst nations, ultimately driving them to War
NATIONALISM
Serbia q Bordered on the Austrian provice of Bosnia q Austria-‐Hungary had annexed Bosnia in 1908 q Many people of Serbian descent lived in Bosnia and biVerly opposed control by Austria-‐Hungary
q Some were determined to free Bosnia from Austrian domina8on unite Serbians into one powerful na8on
NATIONALISM
German Empire q The German Empire was established under Prussian leadership with Bismarck as Chancellor. Wilhelm II, the became Emperor of Germany (Kaiser) in 1888
q Na8onalism expressed itself in the almost obsessive desire of the Germans to acquire and expand its empire
MAIN CAUSES OF THE WAR
• M • A • I • N
ilitarism
lliances
mperialism
ationalism
Was war inevitable?
CANADA GOES TO WAR W O R L D WA R I
IMPERIALISM PLAYS A ROLE
• Canada automatically is at War • Part of the British Empire • Precedent had already been set • Boer War à Canada had sent volunteer military support to South Africa
SUPPORT FOR WAR
• Support was widespread • PM Robert Borden (PM 1911-1920) and his
Cabinet fully supported the War • Canada offered 25,000 trained, equipped
and fully paid for men • Only 3,000 regular army soldiers, 2 navy
cruisers • Additional 60,000 militia (citizen soldiers
trained for emergencies)
SUPPORT FOR THE WAR
• Note: Newfoundland was not part of Canada • Newfoundland Regiment (although
some joined Canadian regiments) • Colonel Hughes offered $1/day for
volunteers • 10,000 Canadians volunteered • 100s of women volunteered as nurses
and ambulance drivers (even though they were encouraged to stay home – too frail and emotional)
WHY VOLUNTEER?
• Two reasons why people volunteered 1. Sense of Patriotism • Felt proud to fight for their country (especially
English-Canadians, ties to Mother Country)
2. Feelings of Excitement and Adventure • Pre-First World War attitude of “adventure” and
“excitement” still existed towards War • “Home by Christmas”
GETTING READY FOR WAR
• Sir Sam Hughes – Canada’s Minister of Militia and Defence at the beginning of the War • Set up a training camp for over 30,000 men at
Valcartier, Quebec • Sense of “national identity” growing • Troops were given a Ross Rifle (manufactured
in Canada) – good for sharp shooting, awful in trench warfare
• By October 1914 – troops were sailing across the Atlantic • By February 1914 – troops were en route to the
front lines in France