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Causes of World War I. United States History. 4 Causes. M ilitarism A lliance System I mperialism N ationalism MAIN. Militarism. Most of the countries involved in WWI began to strengthen their arsenals.
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Causes of World War I United States History
4 Causes • Militarism • Alliance System • Imperialism • Nationalism • MAIN
Militarism • Most of the countries involved in WWI began to strengthen their arsenals. • The build up of weaponry gives countries more machinery and technology in case they are threatened. • New weapons are introduced during this period. (airplanes, machine guns, poisonous gases, tanks, grenades etc..) • All countries including the United States began to really strengthen their military and competition began to take hold.
Alliance System • Having existing alliances is a very scaring thing before a war breaks out. • Triple Alliance (Central Powers) – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire • Triple Entente (Allied Powers) – Great Britain, France, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Serbia • United States will enter the war with the Allied Powers in 1917.
Imperialism • Quest for Africa – 50 of the 52 nations in the continent of Africa were overrun • Major players that include: Great Britain, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Italy exploited and extracted valuable resources out of the African countries. • This attitude and quest by these countries created an atmosphere of hostility between the European conquerors. • Many wars were fought for control of these countries. (The Boer War 1899-1902, The Battle for Fashoda)
Nationalism • With the acquisition of new lands, and new resources, the people begin to take pride in their country. • This overwhelming feeling of pride in one’s own country is called nationalism or patriotism. • Sometimes this causes country’s to prematurely act out of pride rather than smarts.
Gavrilo Princip • Killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife • Member of Serbian nationalist group: The Black Hand • Upset at Austria -Hungary for colonizing Serbia
The Spark the Ignited the Fuse Militarism spark! AllianceSystem Imperialism Nationalism MURDEROF ARCHDUKEFERDINAND AND HIS WIFE SOPHIA When Austrian King Archduke Ferdinand was killed by a Serbian terrorist organization, WWI could not be avoided! World War I Begins 1914-1918