Causes of WW1

1. Causes of WW1

2. The main players

3. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany

4. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria

5. Czar Nicholas II of Russia

6. King George V of Great Britain

7. King Victor Emmanuelle of Italy

8. France

9. Sultan Mehmed V of the Ottoman Empire

10. Serbia

11. Entangling System of Alliances

12. Arms Race and Militarism • Naval race between Germany and Britain • Germany, France, Russia race to expand their armies • All the countries had made plans for war, such as the German Von Schlieffen Plan • War was seen as inevitable

13. Imperialism • Countries wanted colonies • Both for wealth and prestige

14. Nationalism • Similar causes as imperialism: the country wants more power and prestige, which would be boosted by military glory and victory • Very strong in the case of Serbia, Germany and France • Also, nationalism was pulling empires like Austria-Hungary, Russia, and the Ottoman empire apart, so they thought a war might save their empires

15. Preservation of the old order • Socialist and liberal movements gaining power in most countries • This posed a threat to the old order, especially in Russia, Austria-Hungary and Germany because they did not have responsible governments yet • Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany had to rely on socialists and liberals to pass an army bill in 1913 • In return, the socialists and liberals wanted a more responsible government • The Kaiser had to find an external crisis to distract from the internal crisis