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Background Cause - The Alliance System
An intricate set of alliances that began in the late 1800s ultimately made the war into a world war and created an atmosphere of tension and suspicion throughout Europe. These alliances included the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy in the early 1880s, the 1904 Entente Cordial between Britain, France, and Japan, and the 1907 Triple Entente which added Russia to the Entente Cordial. -
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Background Cause - Industrialization
By the turn of the 20th Century, most of Europe had industrialized, but disparities between the United States, Britain, France, and Germany created economic, political, and diplomatic tension. New industrial policies took hold, including neomercantilism, which is an economic doctrine that emphasizes the need to decrease imports by moving toward self-sufficiency and often demands an increase in raw goods from colonies. -
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Background Cause - Imperialism and Nationalism
Imperialism offended the nationalist ideas of other countries, espeically as European nations scrambled to colonize the Africa continent. Additionally, Kaiser Wilhelm's Weltpolitik (World Policy) aimed to expand Germany's power across Europe and around the world. -
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Background Cause - Militarism
At the turn of the 20th Century, armies throughout Europe grew as the idea of military deterrence took hold. Modernization of weapons - machine guns, explosives, and tanks - as well as an Anglo-German naval race contributed to heightened tensions and an increased likelihood of war. -
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Intermediate Cause - The Balkans
As conflicting nationalism of multiple ethnic groups inside Serbia intesified, Russian pan-Slavic nationalists aimed to create a greater Serbia. Austria-Hungary was determined to stop this effort, while Russia strove to reassert her strength in the region. -
Imediate Cause - The July Crisis
Austria-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife Sophie were shot and killed during a visit to Sarajevo by the Serbian nationalist group the Black Hand. The furious Austrians were backed by Germany with a "blank cheque", which led to an ultimatum to the Serbs in an effort to crush Slav nationalism. -
Immediate Cause - Declaration of War
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia mobilized troops in preparation for a threat against the Balkan frontiers, and Kaiser Wilhelm mobilized German troops to deal with the threat on the Russian border.