Pre-Conditions to WWI

1. Pre-Conditions to WWI What starts the war?

2. Advances During WWI New Strategy and Technology

3. Industrialization/Mechanization • The industrial age leads to amazing advances in military technology • Submarines • Tanks • Airplanes • Machine-guns • Artillery Guns

4. Trench Warfare • Perhaps the most ineffective war strategy conceived • Dig large ditches, many times only tens of feet apart • Pop up and shoot • Machine guns and long-range artillery make advancing almost impossible • Costs hundreds of thousands of lives for very little gain

5. Propaganda • Developed by the British • Creates “good v. evil” diameteric • “Evil” enemy eliminates idea of diplomacy • Causes war to be lengthened

6. Changes Growing imperialism leads to a race for foreign conquest Expansion into international markets forces various nations into contact Rising militarism leads to arms race Nationalism leads to countries seeking to take ethnic lands

7. Alliances • Triple Alliance • Germany • Austria-Hungary • Italy • Triple Entente • France • Russia • England

8. Purpose of Alliances Countries agree to support one another in event of attack Theoretically, would prevent war by having massive consequences for action German conquests and ambitions upset balance of power

9. The Spark • Alliances actually serve to de-stabilize • False sense of confidence and aggression • June 28, 1914 • Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Austria-Hungary) is assassinated by Serbian • A-H concerned Serbia trying to break away • Russia feels that Serbia is in its domain, warns A-H to back off • Germany then threatens Russia to back off • France and Britain support Russia