The General Causes of the first World War

1. THE FIRST WORLD
WAR:
ITS ORIGINS 1871 -
1914

2. EUROPE ON THE VERGE OF WAR
1914
A German view of European relationships
in 1914.

3. EUROPE 1860 - 1870
CAVOUR
VON BISMARCK
ITALY
UNITED
1860
GERMANY
UNITED
1871

4. GERMANY IN
1871
Kaiser Wilhelm
I Otto von
Bismarck
1. The creation of a single Germany
state had been a long- standing
ambition of most German-
speaking peoples. This was
achieved in 1871, under the
leadership of Prussia.
2. France had been the dominant
European power before the
creation of Germany. France had
tried to stop unification by going to
war with Prussia in 1870. She was
humiliatingly defeated. Germany
took the French provinces of
Alsace and Lorraine.
3. France wanted revenge. Germany
made sure her armed forces were
stronger than France’s.
THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 1870-
1871

5. A UNITED GERMANY - A UNITED
EUROPE?
How would other European powers react to the
uniting of Germany

6. FRANCE IN
1871
A-L
La
Reveng
e
1. France had been the dominant
power in Europe for almost 200
years.
2. French defeat by Prussia, and
the loss of Alsace and Lorraine,
was a deep humiliation to French
pride.
3. France was determined to have
revenge. She began to build up
her armed forces.
REVOLUTIONS – 1830
+1848

7. RUSSIA IN 1871
Tsar Alexander
II
TSAR NICHOLAS
II
(1894-1917
1. Russia had been France’s most
powerful continental rival during the
Napoleonic Wars.
2. During the 19th
century, Russia
turned away from European affairs to
concentrate on expansion eastwards
into Asia.
3. Russia’s position weakened
during the course of the 19th
century. She, largely, remained a
peasant society, with little
industry, and ruled by repression.

8. AUSTRIA-
HUNGARY IN
1871
POPULATION MIX
WITHIN THE AUSTRO-
HUNGARIAN EMPIRE
Franz-
Joseph
1. Austria had been the
traditional power of Central
Europe for several centuries.
Like France she, too, went to
war with Prussia to prevent
German union and she, too,
was defeated (in 1869).
2. Austria was a weakening
power, and after 1871 her main
concern was with extending her
influence into the Balkan area
of southern Europe.
3. The internal divisions within the
Austro-Hungarian Empire itself
also became more apparent, and
weakened Austria’s position as
a European power.

9. GREAT BRITAIN IN 1871
JOHN BULL
QUEEN VICTORIA
INDUSTRIALISATION,
EMPIRE AND
TRADE
ROYAL NAVY –
PROTECTOR OF THE
EMPIRE
1. Britain was the first country to ‘industrialise’.
This gave Britain a huge advantage, and she
became rich and powerful.
2. She possessed the world’s largest empire, ruling
over a quarter of the Earth’s territory.
3. Her main concerns were with protecting her empire
and developing trade.
4. Britain did not involve itself too in European
political and military affairs. She only stepped in
when she felt the ‘balance of power’ was threatened.

10. 1888 – A NEW EMPEROR FOR
GERMANYKAISER WILHELM II (1888-
1918)
KAISER WILHELM II
HIS PERSONAL
AMBITIONS:
Kaiser Wilhelm II was obsessed
with making Germany not only a
European power but a world
power.
Wilhelm’s actions increased
tensions and distrust amongst
the European powers.
Germany became caught in
an arms race on two fronts –
military with France, naval
with Britain.

11. THE NAVAL RACE 1906-1914
THE GERMAN CHALLENGE TO BRITAIN’S NAVAL
SUPREMACY
Kaiser Wilhelm and King George
V
1. Germany had traditionally
enjoyed friendly relations
with Great Britain.
2. Wilhelm’s ambitions for a
world empire soured
relations between Britain and
Germany. Germany would
need to build a large navy in
order to acquire colonies. This
led to a ‘Naval Race’ (1906-
1914)
3. By building a strong navy, Germany
persuaded Britain into joining with
France and Russia in the ‘Triple Entente’.

12. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALLIANCE
SYSTEMS:THE ‘TRIPLE ALLIANCE’ AND THE ‘TRIPLE
ENTENTE’.

13. SERBIA 1908-
19141. Turkey was known as
the ‘Sick Man of
Europe’. It was losing
control over its empire in
the Balkans, in southern
Europe
2. Both Austria-Hungary and
Russia were interested in
taking over the Balkan
region.
3. By the start of the 20th
century, many Balkan
peoples had won their
independence from Turkey
4. Serbia was the most
powerful of these new
nations. It was her wish
to unite all Serb peoples.
5. This led to bitter rivalry
with Austria-Hungary.

14. ASSASSINATION AT SARAJEVO 28TH
July 1914

15. THE ALLIANCE SYSTEMS GO INTO
ACTION
?
?

16. EVENTS AND CAUSES OF WORLD WAR ONE
1871 -
UNIFICATION OF
GERMANY .
DEFEAT OF
FRANCE.
FRENCH DESIRE FOR
REVENGE – RECOVER
ALSACE AND LORRAINE
MILITARY ‘ARMS RACE’
BEGINS BETWEEN
FRANCE AND GERMANY.
ARMIES INCREASE IN
SIZE.
1888 - WILHELM II BECOMES
KAISER. HIS AMBITIONS FOR
GERMANY RAISE TENSIONS
BETWEEN THE GREAT POWERS.
1879-1907: FORMATION
OF THE ALLIANCE
SYSTEMS:
TRIPLE ALLIANCE:
Germany, Austria-
Hungary, Italy.
TRIPLE ENTENTE:
France, Russia, Great
Britain.
NAVAL RACE 1906-1914;
WILHELM’S AMBITIONS FOR
EMPIRE THREATENS
BRITAIN’S SECURITY
1908-1914 - RIVALRY IN
THE BALKANS BETWEEN
SERBIA AND AUSTRIA-
HUNGARY
JULY 1914 -
ASSASSINATI
ON AT
SARAJEVO