01 World war I: Causes and Alliances
Causes of the Conflict
1914 great economic prosperity due to second industrial Revolution
WWI, broke out in Europe
Several root causes behind this outbreak of war
An aggressive diplomacy
Imperialist ambition
The arms race
Nationalist rivalries
France and Germany maintained hostile
Germany at disadvantage relative to France and Great Britain
Powers wanted to seek alliances with other nations
Atmosphere of rivalry and imperialist ambitions, and diplomatic initiatives
During German unification, Prussian had defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War
great nationalist tensions in the Balkans
Different peoples fought to gain independence
Such as the kingdom of Serbia
Which was supported by Russia and, in turn, a rival of Austria-Hungary
Start of 20th century the second German Empire was Europe's main industrial and economic power
It claimed it own colonial powers
No forum or debate or international organisation was created to discuss conflicts between states
This was the `armed peace´
Weaponry
prepared for war rather than to avoid it, led to the rearmament of states
Technology and industrial progress
countries started the industrial manufacturing
The alliances
Great war, the most devastating military conflict that history had ever seen
Technological advances in the weapons industry contributed to this fact
First war in which aviation played an important role
First metal aeroplane by the German company Junkers in 1915
Other inventions of enormous destructive power
Geran zeppelins and airship
Tanks and armoured vehicles
Mustard gas
Machine guns
2 blocs of alliances were created
The Triple Entente
The Triple Alliance
Formed by: Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary
Formed by: Russia, France and Great Britain
Later Italy abandoned The alliance and Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined
Italy joined The Triple Entente because the rivalry with Austro-Hungary empire
Other countries participated in The Triple Entente
The United States
Romania
Montenegro
Greece
Serbia
Japan
Belgium
new, more deadly weapons, launching an aggressive arms race.