Causes of World War I
The Four Main Causes That Led To World Death
Nationalism and Militarism
Two of the four main causes for World War I are nationalism and militarism. Nationlism is defined as people having pride in their own country or nationality. The practice od nationalism resulted in people being more concerned with their own interests than those with Europe as a whole. Militarism is the process by which a nation builds up its military might for the purpose of intimidating and deterring other countries. A great example for militarism would be the drawn out competition between Germany and England with the building of the dreadnought to increase their naval power.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand and Wife, Sophia
This is a picture of the Archduke and his wife on the same day of his assassination. This was the immediate cause of World War I.
Alliances During World War I
Pictured here is a diagram showing the alliances during WWI and the time periods in which they were involved.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Kaiser Wilhelm II was the German leader during WWI. He was known for his militirism and was viewed by much of Europe as a threat.
Secret Alliances and The Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
The last two of the four main causes for the Great War or War to End All Wars are secret alliances between European countries and the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. Alliances are agreements between nations to help each other in the event of a war. Countries would form alliances to protect themselves further, but this also meant that an attack against one nation could actually drag several into war. The immediate cause of World War I would be the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. While he was visiting the province of Bosnia, the archduke and his wife, Sophia, were assassinatedd by a Serbian nationalist group called the "Black Hand." This resulted in the involvement of Austria-Hungary and Russia, because Russia was close allies with Serbia. This began the division of the alliances with Russia, Britian, and France being named the central powers, while Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey (Ottoman) were named the allies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMMAL3v0lA0&edufilter=0NsmCsBD3UGorqyU6yfFOg