Mr I's Digital Domain

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } Causes of WWI

Big overview – the war that changed everything. Known as “the Great War” and “the war to end all wars” (until WWII).

Scope – truly global – remember that one of the effects of industrialism was globalism. In some countries in Europe, almost an entire generation was wiped out.

Casualties –  about 37,000,00: 16 million deaths and 21 million wounded. The deaths included about 9.7 m soldiers and 6.8 m civilians.

Casualties of World War 1

The beginning of modern warfare

            Civilian casualties

            New and horrible technologies (improved artillery, machine guns, planes, and chemical warfare)

            NOT limited warfare – global, included non-combatants. This was considered morally wrong before this. However, countries eventually would do anything to win, so morals were discarded for the most part.

            The end of “the balance of power” – remember the Congress of Vienna in 1814?

            The redrawing of world maps.

                        It has been said that all conflicts since WWI have their roots in the end of that war. This would include the Middle East among others.

Causes –

1. The spark – the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne) and his wife by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on June 28 1914.
2. A-H response – issued an ultimatum to Serbia. Used it as an excuse to stamp out Serbian nationalism next to their borders.          
   1. The ultimatum basically rode roughshod over Serbia’s independence as a country and demanded that the Serbian government give A-H a free hand in finding and punishing the perpetrators.
   2. A-H expected that Serbia would deny this demand, and they would then use this as a pretext to launch an invasion of Serbia.
3. Serbia had a long history of ties to Russia – both were Slavic peoples.
4. A-H, though not convinced that Russia would give actual military aid to Serbia, sought assurances from Germany (its ally), that Germany would come to their aid IF Russia came to Serbia’s.

The following from http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm

One Thing Led to Another

So then, we have the following remarkable sequence of events that led inexorably to the 'Great War' - a name that had been touted even before the coming of the conflict.

5. Austria-Hungary, unsatisfied with Serbia's response to her ultimatum (which in the event was almost entirely placatory: however her jibbing over a couple of minor clauses gave Austria-Hungary her sought-after cue) declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914.
    
6. Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia, announced mobilisation of its vast army in her defence, a slow process that would take around six weeks to complete.
    
7. Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary by treaty, viewed the Russian mobilisation as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and after scant warning declared war on Russia on 1 August.
    
8. France, bound by treaty to Russia, found itself at war against Germany and, by extension, on Austria-Hungary following a German declaration on 3 August.  Germany was swift in invading neutral Belgium so as to reach Paris by the shortest possible route.
    
9. Britain, allied to France by a more loosely worded treaty which placed a "moral obligation" upon her to defend France, declared war against Germany on 4 August.  Her reason for entering the conflict lay in another direction: she was obligated to defend neutral Belgium by the terms of a 75-year old treaty. 
   
   With Germany's invasion of Belgium on 4 August, and the Belgian King's appeal to Britain for assistance, Britain committed herself to Belgium's defence later that day.  Like France, she was by extension also at war with Austria-Hungary.
    
10. With Britain's entry into the war, her colonies and dominions abroad variously offered military and financial assistance, and included Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa.
     
11. United States President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality, an official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare - which seriously threatened America's commercial shipping (which was in any event almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France) - forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.
     
12. Japan, honouring a military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on 23 August 1914.  Two days later Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Japan.
     
13. Italy, although allied to both Germany and Austria-Hungary, was able to avoid entering the fray by citing a clause enabling it to evade its obligations to both.
    
    In short, Italy was committed to defend Germany and Austria-Hungary only in the event of a 'defensive' war; arguing that their actions were 'offensive' she declared instead a policy of neutrality.  The following year, in May 1915, she finally joined the conflict by siding with the Allies against her two former allies.

The Big Ism’s

1. Imperialism – race for colonies by European countries who needed/wanted resources, markets, and strategic positioning.
2. Militarism – pre-WWI “arms race” between European countries. France and Germany’s militaries doubled in size from 1870-1914. But the BIG weapons, analogous to nuclear weapons today, were “dreadnoughts”. Britain and Germany raced to build more than the other.
3. Nationalism – the idea that countries are defined by nationality or race was a virulent one. A-H held 11 main racial groups. Definitely a combustible mix!
4.