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Causes of First World War - Coggle Diagram
Causes of First World War
Short Term Causes
The Crisis Years
First Moroccan Crisis
Germany tried to attack French occupied Morocco to break up the entente and Germans announced that they would assist the sultan to maintain independence. Demanding a international conference for commercial interests as consolation. Was the first failure in Weltpolitik, Germany managed to strengthen the Entente instead of weakening. Germany seen as threat to British interests.
The Bosinian Crisis
Austria had annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina which infuriated the Serbians as these two regions were ethnically Slav. Hoping for a unification of all Slavic countries under "Greater Serbia" and when Serbia tried to fight back the overwhelming military power of AH and Germany made Serbia back down.
The Balkan Wars
First Balkan War
: 1912 the Balkan states of Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro formed an alliance to try and take Macedonia from Türkiye and divide it amongst themselves and Austrian generals called for war. Austria-Hungary succeeded in containing Serbia by creating Albania cutting Russia off from the Adriatic sea, essential to their trade routes and build more resentment between Serbia and Austria-Hungary.
Second Balkan War
: Bulgaria now went to war against their former allied Balkan states fighting for more land as they didn't receive as much as they expected in the first war. Bulgaria was ultimately defeated and the Treaty of Bucharest took nearly all the land Bulgaria won in the first Balkan War. This a major reason for Bulgaria taking Austria-Hungary's side during the war.
The July Crisis
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist group. Germany had given Austria-Hungary a "blank cheque" offering unconditional support. Austria sent the Serbian government an ultimatum, one so shocking that even Russia was taken aback by it. When Serbia rejected this, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Britain threatened Germany if they invaded Belgium that Britain would declare war on Germany.
Long Term Causes
Franco-Prussian War
Prussian army defeats France, humiliating them due to French surrender of 80,000 men.
Prussia wins military battles and cripples Paris in an economic blockade
Terms of peace treaty were hated by France: lost Alsace-Lorraine, reparations fee, and Prussia would occupy France it was paid
Prussian victory march ending with King of Prussia coronations, competing German unification without Austria.
As a consequence France faced many socio-economic problems, motivating the "revanche" movement. This victory allowed Germany became a major power in Europe with the potential to dominate. Showing other European countries that mobilization and fast deployment had to be emphasized for a successful offensive. Entire army structure had to change for modern warfare.
Great European Powers
Germany: Was a constitutional monarchy with an authoritarian system (people were already used to this type of political system). Power held by Kaiser and Chancellor, becoming a European power post-Franco-Prussian war industrial wise. Germany wanted to gain colonies but most of Africa and Asia had been divided amongst Britain and France. Wanted a "place under the sun."
France: Democratic republic with many civil liberties, agricultural economy with a high rural population. Strong economy due to natural resources and investments but was facing socio-economic problems due to loss of war. Therefore, developing tension between Germany and France, giving them reason for war.
Britain: Parliamentary democracy with a symbolic monarchy, similar socio-economic issues to Germany due to rapid industrialization. Britain lived in the "splendid isolation" a time of political and economic stability. Only coming out of it due to a threat on there many overseas colonies and trade routes from the Germans. Britain at this time was known as "the place where the sun never sets."
Austria-Hungary: Dual monarchy with a inefficient bureaucratic system, slow economic growth due to rivalry within the empire. Many nations in the empire, thus, there was a lot of nationalist movements for ethnic liberation. The Slavs being the most notable, with the Russians attempting to help the Slavic liberation.
Türkiye: "sick man of Europe" in heavy decline, with Sultan undermined, rebellion by Islamic and nationalistic groups could not be controlled. Foreign debt and political dissent threatened the empire and religious division due to the sheer size of the empire and struggle to maintain it.
Alliance System
Germany was a new state born from a war that was very recent. However, they have great economic, military and imperial potential to become a dominant power, therefore initially didn't pursue a aggressive foreign relationship.
Otto Von Bismarck sought out to isolate France, stay allied to Russia and prevent a possible two-front war.
The Dreikaiserbund: an alliance between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary agreed to keep France isolated, fell apart when Austria-Hungary and Russia came into conflict over events in the Balkans
Imperialism & Weltpolitik
Weltpolitik
: Politics in worldwide territories, where Kaiser Wilhelm wanted to destroy Bismarck's web, allowing war to develop on two fronts.
Imperialism
: Germany was trying the make an influence outside of Europe, led to the "scramble for Africa" because they wanted a "place under the sun."
Naval Race & Military Strategies
Naval Race
: a British ship Dreadnought better than all previous ship models in Europe launched rivalry, meaning previous ships were obsolete, Germany competes with Britain by rapidly expanding its fleet. This made Britain began to see Germany as an enemy.
War Plans: Schlieffen Plan two objectives was to invade France through Belgium based on the assumption that there would be little resistance. Then invade Russia based on the assumption that Russia would mobilize slowly.