What were the Underlying Causes of World War I? Introduction At the turn of the 20th century, Europe was feeling pretty darned good! It controlled empires that encircled the globe. European technology was unsurpassed. Even its art and music were the envy of the rest of world. In 1900, Europeans believed the world was their oyster. However, this feeling was not to last. By the end of 1918, after four long years of war, European confidence was badly shaken. Ten million soldiers had died on the battle fields, another 20 million had been wounded. Empires that had lasted for centuries lay in ruin. In the late 19th century European leaders believed that by creating a balance of power they could prevent large-scale war. The idea was that if the major powers of Europe ---countries like England, France, Russia, and Germany---- were balanced in strength, no one country could dominate the rest. War could be avoided. Otto von Bismark, the Chancellor of Prussia who led the unification of the German states disliked the fact that Germany was sandwiched between Russia and France. To avoid war, Bismark made an alliance with Austria-Hungry and Italy which became known as the Triple Alliance. In response, France Russia and Great Britain formed their own alliance known as the Triple Entente. On the surface, these alliances could be seen as a way to maintain a balance of power and thereby preserve peace but suspicions ran high. Political and military leaders spent countless hours developing plans in case a war began. Countries engaged in militarism---building up of arms, weapons, ships and men. The tension between countries was matched by tension within countries. Especially in southeastern Europe, in an area known as the Balkans. In the Balkans, the spirit of nationalism and independence ran high. Some ethnic groups revolted. Out of the numerous dissatisfied ethnic groups, one emerged in Sarajevo, Bosnia called the Black Hand. They wanted independence from their mother country, Austria-Hungry and for all Serb people to have their own country. Their solution to the situation was to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when he visited Sarajevo to make an inspection of the Austro-Hungarian troops. Seven young men who had been trained in bomb throwing and marksmanship were recruited to accomplish the task. On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife Sophie toured Sarajevo in an open car. Seven assassins were stationed along the route that Franz Ferdinand's car would follow from the City Hall to the inspection. The first two terrorists were unable to throw their grenades because the streets were too crowded and the car was travelling quite fast. The third terrorist, a young man called Cabrinovic, threw a grenade which exploded under the car following the Archduke’s car. Although the Archduke and his wife were unhurt, some of his attendants were injured and had to be taken.

1. What were the Underlying Causes of World War I?
Introduction
At the turn of the 20th century, Europe was feeling pretty
darned good! It controlled empires that encircled the globe.
European technology was unsurpassed. Even its art and music
were the envy of the rest of world. In 1900, Europeans believed
the world was their oyster.
However, this feeling was not to last. By the end of 1918,
after four long years of war, European confidence was badly
shaken. Ten million soldiers had died on the battle fields,
another 20 million had been wounded. Empires that had lasted
for centuries lay in ruin.
In the late 19th century European leaders believed that by
creating a balance of power they could prevent large-scale war.
The idea was that if the major powers of Europe ---countries
like England, France, Russia, and Germany---- were balanced in
strength, no one country could dominate the rest. War could be
avoided.
Otto von Bismark, the Chancellor of Prussia who led the
unification of the German states disliked the fact that Germany
was sandwiched between Russia and France. To avoid war,
Bismark made an alliance with Austria-Hungry and Italy which
became known as the Triple Alliance. In response, France
Russia and Great Britain formed their own alliance known as
the Triple Entente.
On the surface, these alliances could be seen as a way to
maintain a balance of power and thereby preserve peace but
suspicions ran high. Political and military leaders spent
countless hours developing plans in case a war began.
Countries engaged in militarism---building up of arms,
weapons, ships and men.
The tension between countries was matched by tension
within countries. Especially in southeastern Europe, in an area

2. known as the Balkans. In the Balkans, the spirit of nationalism
and independence ran high. Some ethnic groups revolted. Out
of the numerous dissatisfied ethnic groups, one emerged in
Sarajevo, Bosnia called the Black Hand. They wanted
independence from their mother country, Austria-Hungry and
for all Serb people to have their own country. Their solution to
the situation was to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, heir to the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, when he visited Sarajevo to make an
inspection of the Austro-Hungarian troops. Seven young men
who had been trained in bomb throwing and marksmanship were
recruited to accomplish the task.
On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife
Sophie toured Sarajevo in an open car. Seven assassins were
stationed along the route that Franz Ferdinand's car would
follow from the City Hall to the inspection. The first two
terrorists were unable to throw their grenades because the
streets were too crowded and the car was travelling quite fast.
The third terrorist, a young man called Cabrinovic, threw a
grenade which exploded under the car following the Archduke’s
car.
Although the Archduke and his wife were unhurt, some of his
attendants were injured and had to be taken to hospital. After
lunch at the City Hall, Franz Ferdinand insisted on visiting the
injured attendants in hospital. However, on the way to the
hospital the driver took a wrong turn. Realizing his mistake the
driver stopped the car and began to reverse. Another terrorist,
named Gavrilo Princip, stepped forward and fired two shots.
The first hit the pregnant Sophia in the stomach. Sophie died
almost instantly. The second shot hit the Archduke in the neck.
He died a short while later.
The Black Hand assassins hoped to use the killing to trigger a
rebellion that would lead to a larger Serbian nation. The
Austrian government blamed the Serbian government for not
controlling groups like the Black Hand. On July 5, an Austrian
ambassador met with Kaiser William II of Germany. Austria-

3. Hungary was promised a “blank check” or unconditional support
from Germany regardless whatever action Austria-Hungary
decided to take in punishing Serbia. Furthermore, elements
within the Austro-Hungarian government had been itching to
strike at Serbia during the immediate pre-war years, but had
lacked a credible excuse to do so.
On Thursday 23 July 1914, Austria issued a list of 10
demands to be met by Serbia. The ultimatum insisted that
Austria-Hungary be allowed to participate in Serbia’s
investigation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination and,
in particular, to take direct part in the judicial process against
the suspects. The demands also required Serbia to stamp out all
forms of anti-Austrian activism and propaganda emanating from
the country. Serbia agreed to all demands except the
participation by Austria in Serbia’s judicial process. On July
24 Serbia sought help from Russia and received a promise of
support if Austria attacked. On July 28, Austria declared war
on Serbia. On July 29, the first Austrian artillery shells fell on
Serbia’s capital, Belgrade.
In the next several days:
Russia declared war on Austria-Hungry. Germany declared war
on Russia. France declared war on Germany and Austria-
Hungary. Britain joined France and Russia.Europe was at war.
German Motives
Germany had little interest in Austria’s problems with Serbia.
In recent years, Russia had become increasingly involved in
European affairs, while simultaneously modernizing and
expanding its military. German military leaders felt that war
with Russia was inevitable at some point. Therefore, they
argued, it would be far better to fight Russia now, while its
army was still poorly armed and untrained, rather than to wait
until it could pose a greater threat. Some historians claim that
Germany deliberately encouraged Austria to go to war with
Serbia in order to set off a war with Russia.
Furthermore, German military leaders believed there was a good
chance that Britain would remain neutral and that France also

4. might stay at arm’s length, despite its treaty with Russia. This
wishful thinking helped the German military leaders convince
themselves that the war would be winnable and also helped
them to sell their plan to the Kaiser Wilhelm II.
British Motives:
For centuries, Britain had been the greatest naval power in the
world and also had the largest collection of colonies. In the first
years of the twentieth century, however, Germany made a
massive and costly effort to build up a comparable naval fleet of
its own, with the specific goal of matching Britain on the high
seas. Germany also had recently shown a stronger interest than
before in acquiring new colonies. Britain, seeing these
developments as a dangerous threat to the balance of power in
Europe, argued to Germany (through diplomatic channels) that
the country had no need for a large navy or a large number of
colonies. Germany ignored Britain’s rebuffs and continued as
before. Just as some German leaders favored an “anticipatory”
war against Russia, some British leaders felt similarly about
Germany.
French Motives:
In 1871, France had lost the territories of Alsace and Lorraine
to Germany in a war—a bitterly humiliating blow that left
France desperate to regain these lands. While fearful of an all-
out German invasion, some French leaders felt that if Germany
were distracted by a war with Russia, France might have a
chance to seize Alsace and Lorraine.
Russian Motives:
Russia’s motives for entering the war are less clear-cut. On the
other hand, there was support in Russia for the Serbian cause,
and a military victory would likely help the tsar politically.
Nevertheless, war was a risky proposition given the poor state
of the Russian military at the time. Tsar Nicholas II, who was
personally hesitant about joining the war, briefly flip-flopped
over ordering mobilization. Ultimately, however, he caved
under pressure from overly optimistic Russian military leaders
and advisers who had strong nationalistic leanings.

5. Why did the United States enter WWI?
When World War I erupted in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson,
reflected the views of much of the nation when he announced
that his country would be “impartial in thought as well as in
action”. However, remaining neutral became very difficult for
the United States. Great Britain was one of America’s closest
trading partners, and tension soon arose between the United
States and Germany over the latter’s attempted quarantine of the
British Isles. Several U.S. ships traveling to Britain were
damaged or sunk by German mines, and in February 1915
Germany announced unrestricted warfare against all ships,
neutral or otherwise, that entered the war zone around Britain.
One month later, Germany announced that a German cruiser had
sunk the William P. Frye, a private American vessel. President
Wilson was outraged, but the German government apologized
and called the attack an unfortunate mistake.
On May 7, the British-owned Lusitania ocean liner was
torpedoed without warning just off the coast of Ireland. Of the
1,959 passengers, 1,198 were killed, including 128 Americans.
The German government maintained that the Lusitania was
carrying munitions, but the U.S. demanded reparations and an
end to German attacks on unarmed passenger and merchant
ships. In August, Germany pledged to see to the safety of
passengers before sinking unarmed vessels, but in November
sunk an Italian liner without warning, killing 272 people,
including 27 Americans. With these attacks, public opinion in
the United States began to turn irrevocably against Germany.
In addition, after Germany’s invasion of neutral Belgium in
1914, stories began to circulate about atrocities committed
against Belgian civilians. These stories, both true and
exaggerated, were seized upon for propaganda. So-called
“atrocity propaganda” spread far and wide, painting the
Germans as a barbaric nation bent on ruthless, indiscriminate
destruction. This propaganda was soon sweeping the US, firing
anti-German sentiment. Also by this time, the US had a vested
financial interest in the outcome of the war in Europe. American

6. businesses and banks made huge loans to the Allies. If they
didn’t win then they were unlikely to get their money back.
In 1917, Germany, determined to win its war of attrition against
the Allies, announced the resumption of unrestricted warfare in
war-zone waters. Three days later, the United States broke
diplomatic relations with Germany, and just hours after that the
American liner Housatonic was sunk by a German U-boat. On
February 22, Congress passed a $250 million arms
appropriations bill intended to make the United States ready for
war. In late March, Germany sunk four more U.S. merchant
ships, and on April 2 President Wilson appeared before
Congress and called for a declaration of war against Germany.
Four days later, his request was granted.
Assignment 1
This week’s discussion will focus on current international
conflicts around the world. Use the internet to locate current
unresolved international conflicts. After selecting an issue
which interests you, locate a current news article about the
issue.
Second, imagine you have the opportunity to present the issue
to the United Nations in an attempt to resolve the situation.
Write a brief summary of the news article and include an
explanation of why you chose the article (why it is an area or
issue of concern).
Last, read the posts made by other students, choose two posts
which interest you and write a response expressing your
opinion/viewpoint on their current event.
Requirements:
For each event assigned you must submit the following in your
first post.
A copy of the event OR the URL which includes the date and
name of the news source. Only current 2019 news articles are
acceptable.
A well written summary of the article in your own words.

7. An explanation of why you chose the article and its relevance
today.
Assignment 2
Document: “What were the Underlying Causes of World War
I?”
Instructions: Students will work in groups of 4 to read the
document and complete a reading activity based on the
Literature Circle reading strategy.
A Literature Circle is a student centered reading
activity for a group of 4-6 students. Each member of a circle is
assigned a role which helps guide the group discussion of the
text they are all reading. Literature Circles provide an
opportunity for students to control their own learning by sharing
their thoughts, concerns and understanding of the events of the
text.
Instructions: Each group member is either assigned a role by
other group members or chooses a specific role which helps
guide group discussion of the text. Each group member reads
the material and participates in group discussions while reading
the text and/or after reading the text.
4 Group Roles and Activities:
Discussion Director: Reads the text and develops 3 well written
discussion questions that relate to the text for the group to
discuss. The discussion director encourages conversation to
ensure that ideas are developed. Once questions are developed
the group will work together to compose well written answers.
Connector: Makes connections between the text and the outside
world and/or text to text connections. Connect situations from
the text to happenings in our country, to similar events at other
times and places, to other places, to other people or problems in
the real world. For example, connectors would say “this is
like…” or “this reminds me of….” If you have difficulty
relating the text to the outside world, you may use the internet
on your cell phone, laptop or tablet. The connector should have

8. at least 6 connections from the selected reading material ex.
“What were the Underlying Causes of World War I?” Copy
specific passages from the reading material and write
connections you make between the reading passage and other
situations with clear explanations for each selection and its
relationship to your connection.
Vocabulary Enricher: Finds 10 especially important words/terms
or people to help explain key concepts. Locate the words, terms,
or people on the text and write a definition or identification
which explains how the term or person relates to a cause of
WWI. Enrichers should explain the context of the word/term or
identification to the group and how it fits with the
goal/objective of the reading assignment.
Summarizer: Highlights key points and main ideas in the text.
Prepares a brief summary. Summary should contain major
points and must be at least 450 words in length. Summary must
not be plagiarized and must be written in your own words.
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