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Imperialism
Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Before World War 1 Britain had control over Canada, India, Ceylon, Burma, Australia, New Zealan, Hong Kong, some Pacific and Carribean Islands, South Africa, Rhodesia, Egypt, and parts of Africa. -
Nationalism
Nationalism is the devotion to ones nation. Europeans believed that a nation should express the nationalism of one ethinc group. Nationalism threatened minorities in nation-states. Nationalism made old multinational empires become unstable. When Serbia decided to emerge as an independent nation it challenged Austria-Hungary. -
Militarism
Militarism is the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability. Militarism one of the causes of World War 1. A few years prior to the war, many European nations were dominated by military leaders. Militarism shaped the media and public opinion. Military leaders were held on high pedestals. -
Alliances
The two major alliances that fough in World War 1 were the allied powers and central powers. Those two alliances fought against eachother. The allied powers consisted of France, Britain, Russia, and the United States. The central powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria. The Ottoman Empire later joined the central powers in 1914. Forming these alliances helped the European leaders prepare for war. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28th Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were touring Sarajevo with very little security. A Serbian nationalist threw a bomb at the car but the bomb slid off the back and injured and officer. Archduke Franz Ferdinand went to visit the injured officer. The Serbian nationalist took a second chance and shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. He tried to commit suicide but an angry mob would not let him. This event sparked the beginnig of World War 1. -
Germany's blank check to Austri-Hungary
Alexander Graf Van Hoyos was sent to Berlin by the Austrian Foreign Ministry. Hoyos had a memorandum that stated something needed to be done in the Balkans region. Without Germany's backing the Balkans would have stayed localized. With Germany's backing the Balkans war could turn into a European one. Germany ave the Austrian Foreign Ministry the go ahead. -
World War 1 Begins
World War 1 began on July 28th and was centered in Europe. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered the beginning of the war. On the 28 the Austro-Hungary invaded in Serbia. Imperialism, Nationalism, and Militarism were all causes of World War 1. Military leaders dominated governments in European nations. Leaders believed nationalism should focus on one specific ethnicity. European nations took over other nations by annexation or other tactics. -
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Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
In 1917 Germany returned to unrestricted submarine warfare. This was previously suspended because of the pressure put against them by the United States and other countries. In 1915 Germany declared the area around the British Isles a war zone. This meant that merchant ships from Britain or neutral nations would be attacked. The sinking of the Lusitania caused the United States to enter the war. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German submarine boat lead by Walter Schwieger, fired two torpedoes at the Lusitania, a British passenger ship. The Lusitania sunk in 18 minutes. There were 1,924 passengers aboard the ship. Out of those 1,924, 1,119 passengers died, with 114 of them being Americans. This left 805 survivors of the sinking. Americans were enraged by the sinking. President Wilson protested against the Germans. When Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare, the U.S. entered within 2 years. -
Zimmerman Telegram
In January 1917, the German Foreign Office issued the Zimmerman telegram. The telgram was sent to Mexico but the British interceoted and decoded the message. The Zimmerman teleram proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany if the United state were to eneter the war. Arthur Zimmerman sent the telegram on January 11. Germany knew that if they continued unrestricted submarine warfare, the United States would enter the war. -
America Enters World War 1
The United States entered te war on April 6,1917. They joined the allied powers, Britain, Russia, and France. Before the United States entered the war, it wa at a stalemate. When the United States entered the war the were fully equipped and ready. The entrance of the United States into the war was a major turning point. The United States helped lead the allied powers to victory. -
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Effects of World War 1
In World War 1, more than 14 million civilians, soldiers, sailors, and flyers died. The war costed more than $186 billion in direct costs and $151 billion in indirect costs. The collapse of monarchies like Russia, Austri-Hungary, Germany, and Turkey were the results of World War 1. There were also colonial revolts in the midddle East and Southeast Asia. European countries were econimically in trouble. This allowed the United States to become the worlds leading industrial power.
