Modern World HistoryContent Statement 14

War Breaks out in Europe

Mr. Leasure2014 – 2015

Harrison Career Center

What were the underlying causes of World War I?Key Question #1

…underlying causes of World War I?

•A single action, the assassination of the archduke, started World War I.

•But the conflict had many underlying causes.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•The first primary cause of World War I was imperialism.

•Countries in Europe competed for colonies in Africa and Asia.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•Germany had fewer colonies that Britain and France and they felt it deserved more colonies to provide it with resources and buy its gods.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•The second primary cause of World War I was nationalism.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•Europeans were very nationalistic, meaning they had strong feelings of pride, loyalty, and protectiveness toward their own countries.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•They placed their countries’ interest above all other concerns.

• In addition, some ethnic groups hoped to form their own separate nations and were willing to fight for such a casue.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•The third primary cause of World War I was militarism.

•Militarism is the belief that a nation needs a large military force.

…underlying causes of World War I?

• In the decades before World War I, the major powers built up their armies and navies.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•The fourth primary cause of World War I was alliances.

• In 1914, a tangled network of competing alliances bound European nations together.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•An attack on one nation forced all its allies to come to its aid.

•Any small conflict could become a larger war.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•European nations had divided into two opposing alliances.

•The Central Powers were made up of Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

…underlying causes of World War I?

•The Allied Powers, or allies, consisted of Serbia, Russia, France, Great Britain, Italy, and 7 other countries.