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Militarism
Militarism was the incorporation of military organization and ideas into civilian government and the belief that military power is necessary for national strength. Militarism was strongest in Germany, where the ruler relied heavily on his military commanders and the civilian legislature expended little or no control over the military. -
Nationalism
The Battle of Dorking, one of the best known examples of invasion literature, was a wild tale about an invasion of England by German forces. By 1910 a Londoner could buy dozens of flashy stories, each gamely warning of German, Russian or French aggression, commit against England or her interests. -
Alliances
By 1914, the six major powers of Europe were split into two alliances that would form the two warring sides in World War I. Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente, while Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy joined in the Triple Alliance. These alliances were not the sole cause of World War I, as some historians have contended, but they did play an important role in quickening Europe's hurry to conflict. -
Imperialism
The British Empire took in India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, parts of North Africa, islands in the Pacific and Caribbean and concessions in China. -
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings triggered a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, five years to the day after Franz Ferdinand’s death, Germany and the Allied Powers signed the Treaty of Versailles, officially marking the end of World War I. -
Germany's Blank Check to Austria-Hungary
On July 5, 1914, in Berlin, leader Wilhelm II of Germany promises his country’s unconditional support for whatever action Austria-Hungary chooses to take in its conflict with Serbia, a long-running competition thrown into crisis by the murder, the previous June 28, of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife by a Serbian nationalist during an official visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia. -
Beginning of WWI
World War I started when a Serbian terrorist shot an Austro-Hungarian archduke in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1914. German troops crossing into Belgium gave the British an excuse to enter the war. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The sinking of the British passenger ship Lusitania, led to over 1,000 death passengers, and 128 of them were Americans. Americans were really angry because Germany attacked a commercial ship. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was a coded message sent by German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to his country’s diplomatic delegation in Mexico. The communication was an attempt to draw Mexico into warfare should the United States join the Allies in Europe. The interception and de-coding of the Zimmermann Telegram revealed a promise to the Mexican Government that Germany would help Mexico recover the territory it had ceded to the USA following the Mexican-American War. -
Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
Germany announces the renewal of unlimited submarine warfare in the Atlantic, and German torpedo-armed submarines prepare to attack any and all ships, including civilian passenger carriers, said to be sited 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. None of the 25 Americans on board were killed, and all were later picked up by a British steamer. -
US entry into the war and her impact on it
The United States entered the war because of the Germans' decision to resume the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, the Zimmerman Telegram. American entry into WWI helped to bring the war on the Western Front in Europe to an end. It was also a huge help to Allies. The American soldiers were rested and brought energy to the Allies. Military food and and equipment were provided to help Allies in their fight against the Central Powers. -
Effects of WWI
After the war over 9 million military personnel died during this war, and over 7 million men were left permanently disabled. New states were formed; Austria and Hungary went there separate ways the Serbs achieved their goal of south slave states "Yugoslavia" . The power of the Unions had grown during the war, workers protested and 1919 saw a massive wave of strikes. The euphoria of the WWI victory soon dissolved into disillusionment and rejection of war. -
Rise of Hitler
Hitler’s rise to power started when he became politically involved and joined the Deutsche Arbeiterspartei. From there he worked himself up in the party, which later became the Nazi Party. He was an excellent speaker. At one stage, Hitler recognized that he was one of the best speakers in the Nazi party and demanded that they make him party leader or he would walk out. They accepted and he became party leader. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the most important of the peace treaties that brought World War I to an end. Germany had been blamed entirely for the first world war and had been forced to pay compensation to the allies under the war guilt clause of the treaty. The war guilt clause made the Germans accept responsibility for the war but also cost them dearly. 10% of German lands were lost as a result and a massive 12.5% of the German population found itself living outside of the new German borders. -
Dawes Plan and Young Plan
The Dawes Plan was an attempt in 1924 to solve the World War I reparations problem that Germany had to pay, which had bedevilled international politics following World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. The Young Plan was an attempt by former wartime allies to support the government of Weimar Germany, which gave Germany longer to pay reparations. Dawes agreed to America lending Germany 800 million gold marks, which started the German economy. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the worst economic fall in the history of the industrialized world. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and employment as failing companies laid off workers. -
