WORLD WAR I
OBJECTIVES:
M.A.I.N Causes of World War ITriple Entente (becomes the Allied Powers): Russia, Great Britain, France
Triple Alliance (Becomes the Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy MILITARISMMilitarism means that the army and military forces are given a high profile by the government; or the focus of a political orientation of a people or a government to maintain a strong military force and to be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests. The growing European divide had led to an arms race between the main countries.
ALLIANCESAn alliance is an agreement made between two or more countries to give each other help if it is needed. When an alliance is signed, those countries become known as Allies.
A number of alliances had been signed by countries between the years 1879 and 1914. These were important because they meant that some countries had no option but to declare war if one of their allies. declared war first. (the table below reads clockwise from the top left picture) |
KEY VOCABULARY:
Militarism Alliance Imperialism Nationalism Empire Social Darwinism Authoritarianism Triple alliance Triple entente Conscription Gavrilo Princep Archduke Franz (Francis) Ferdinand Mobilization Propaganda Trench warfare War of attrition Total war Planned economies Soviets Armistice Fourteen Points Reparations Treaty of Versailles |
IMPERIALISM
Imperialism is when a country takes over new lands or countries and makes them subject to their rule. By 1900 the British Empire extended over five continents and France had control of large areas of Africa. With the rise of industrialism countries needed new markets. The amount of lands ‘owned’ by Britain and France increased the rivalry with Germany who had entered the scramble to acquire colonies late and only had small areas of Africa. Remember the contrast in the map below when we discussed our last unit.
NATIONALISM
Nationalism means being a strong supporter of the rights and interests of one’s country. The Congress of Vienna, held after Napoleon’s exile to Elba, aimed to sort out problems in Europe. Delegates from Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia (the winning allies) decided upon a new Europe that left both Germany and Italy as divided states. Strong nationalist elements led to the re-unification of Italy in 1861 and Germany in 1871. The settlement at the end of the Franco-Prussian war left France angry at the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany and keen to regain their lost territory. Large areas of both Austria-Hungary and Serbia were home to differing nationalist groups, all of whom wanted freedom from the states in which they lived.