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Causes of the First World War ww1, if you, AssassinationArchdukeFerdinand,…
Causes of the First World War 
Militarism
Many of the largest empires of the 19th and early 20th century believed that a strong military was what made a nation great.
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Each of the great powers of the time were building up their military capabilities in the decades preceding the war.
Enlarged militaries meant that preemptive mobilization might be necessary if conflict seems like a possibility.
In the wake of WW1, Russia mobilized early to ensure that its troops would arrive in time in the case of war.
Since the Schlieffen plan relied heavily upon the slow mobilization of Russia, Germany sent Russia an ultimatum to Russia to stop mobilizing.
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Imperialism
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Past imperial policy meant that there were empires that controlled many different ethnic groups that were not represented by their emperor.
Ethnic nationalism combined by a lack of representation in vast empires meant that many ethnic groups wanted independence for themselves.
This desire was the founding principle of Serbia, one of the catalysts of WW1, and other Balkan states.
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Imperialism allowed for the existence of great powers with enough power and resourced to fight a war on the scale of WW1.
Alliances
Triple Alliance
The Triple Alliance included Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy.
This alliance led to Germany sending a "blank-cheque" that gave Austria-Hungary confidence that Germany would support them in whatever they did.
When Serbia declined this ultimatum, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia.
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Triple Entente
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Alongside this alliance, Russia guaranteed the independence of Serbia.
This series of alliances meant that when Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia would declare war on Austria,
This series of alliances meant that when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia would declare war on Austria-Hungary, Germany would declare war on Russia, and France would declare war on Germany.
Nationalism
Nationalism caused the desire within nations to reclaim lost territories and/or to expand the influence of their nation.
Although Italy is included within the Triple alliance, Austrian ownership of Dalmatia would mean that they would not join Germany and Austria when war broke out.
Assassination
On June 28th, 1914, the Bosnian Serb, Gavrilo Princip, shot and killed the Austrian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Austria-Hungary blamed the assasination on the Serbian government, and used it as justification for an ultimatum that was sent to Serbia.
When Serbia declined this ultimatum, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia.
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Sorry for the poor image quality, it's the best I could do with this program