13.

1
Marching Toward War
In Europe, military buildup, nationalistic
feelings, and rival alliances set the stage
for a continental war.
Ch. 13, Section 1 Objectives
1. Describe “the powder keg of
Europe” in the early 1900s
2. Explain the alliance system in
Europe (1890s-1914)
3. Evaluate Austria’s ultimatum to
Serbia
 Long-Term Causes of The Great War

• Unification of
Germany

• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism

New Zealand troops in the Somme and Ancre area

Rising Tensions in Europe

The Rise of
Nationalism
• Europe enjoys peace
in late 1800s but
problems lie below
surface
• Growing nationalism
leads to competition
among nations
• Nationalism in the
Balkans leads many
groups to demand
independence
Rising
Tensions
in Europe
What is this
cartoon is
suggesting?
Rising Tensions in Europe
Imperialism and
Militarism
• Competition for
colonies stirs mistrust
among European
nations
• Mutual animosity spurs
European countries to
engage in arms race
• Militarism—policy of
glorifying military
power, preparing army
Tangled Alliances
Bismarck Forges Early
Pacts
• Germany’s Otto von Bismarck
works to keep peace in Europe
after 1871
• Believes France wants revenge
for loss in 1870 Franco-Prussian
War
• Seeks to isolate the French with France began general mobilization
a series of treaties and alliances: against Germany on 1 August. Three
• Signs Reinsurance Treaty days later, Germany declared war on
with Russia in 1887 France. Here, on 2 August, Parisians
cheer French lancers off to fight the
• forms Triple Alliance—
Germans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Germany, Austria-Hungary, /Causes_of_World_War_I
Italy—in 1882
Tangled Alliances
Shifting Alliances Threaten
Peace
• Kaiser Wilhelm II becomes
German ruler in 1888
• Foreign policy changes begin in
1890 with dismissal of Bismarck
• alliance with Russia was
dropped; Russia then allies
with France
• effort to strengthen
German navy, which alarms
Britain
• Britain, France, Russia form Declaration of a state of war from the
German empire in 1914. http://en.wiki
Triple Entente alliance in 1907 pedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I
Tangled Alliances: Triple Alliance, Triple Entente

Triple Alliance
Triple Alliance
Map of Allied and Central Powers
United States

ALLIED POWERS
Major Powers
• British Empire
(1914–1918)
• France (1914–1918)
• Italy (1914–1918)
• Russia (1914–1917)
• United States (1917–
1918)
CENTRAL POWERS
Major Powers
• Austria-Hungary
(1914–1918)
• Germany (1914–1918)
• Ottoman Empire/Turkey
(1914–1918)

10
Crisis in the Balkans
A Restless Region
• Many groups in Balkans win
independence during early
1900s
• New nation of Serbia made up
largely of Slavs
• Austria-Hungary annexes Slavic
region of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (1908)
• Serbia outraged, sees itself as
rightful ruler of these Slavic
lands

A Shot Rings Throughout Europe

• Serbian rebel (Gavrilo Princip) kills Austro-Hungarian royal official
(Archduke Franz Ferdinand) on 28 June 1914
• Austria declares war on Serbia; Russia comes to aid of Serbia
 Franz Joseph’s Ultimatum to Serbia
• Designed to punish Serbia for Franz Joseph I,
encouraging Slavic nationalism Emperor of Austria

• Ultimatum had three main

components
– Suppress all anti-Austrian propaganda.
– Dissolve nationalist and terrorist
groups.
– Allow Austrian representatives to
participate in Serbia’s investigation of
assassination plot and serve on all
government agencies dealing with
revolutionaries.

• Serbia refuses, looks to Russia for

support Serbian Prime Minister Nikolia Pasic
 Timeline of Events Leading to War
• June 28: Archduke Franz Ferdinand
assassinated
• July 23: Austria-Hungary delivers
ultimatum to Serbia
• July 28: Austria-Hungary declares
war on Serbia
• July 29: Austria-Hungary bombards
Belgrade; Kaiser Wilhelm II and
Tsar Nicholas II exchange telegrams
trying to avoid war
• July 30: Russia orders full
mobilization; France sends troops
“The lamps are going out all over Europe” within six miles of German border
• July 31: Germany officially asks
Austria not to mobilize while
unofficially suggesting they do, and
moves troops toward France
Timeline of Events Leading to War
• August 1: France orders full
mobilization; Germany orders full
mobilization, moves toward
Luxembourg; German ambassador
sorrowfully delivers declaration of
war to Russian foreign minister
• August 3: France and Germany
declare war on each other; British
mobilize army and navy
• August 4: Germany invades
Belgium; Great Britain and Belgium
declare war on Germany
• August 6: Austria-Hungary declares
war on Russia