IB History: WW1 Causes

Bismarck's Web of Alliances, New Course and Weltpolitik, Imperialism, The Alliance System, The Naval Race, The situation in Balkans

-The Three Emperor's League; Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary (1873) - To keep France isolated. -The Dual Alliance; Austia-Hungary, Russia (1879) - To limit the possibility of war. -The Three Emperor's Alliance; Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary (1881) - To resolve Austro-Russian dispute in the Balkans. -The Triple Alliance; Germany, Austria-Hungary (1882) - If one was attacked, the other would lend assistance. -The Reinsurance Treaty; Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary (1887) - To avoid risks of war on two fronts

-New chancellor and Kaiser took German policy on a 'new course' against Bismarck's web of alliances -To gain colonies in Africa -Weltpolitik: to divert from social and political problems -France became free from isolation

- European domination in several African countries - Germany to spread influence outside of Europe - Germany to get into conflict with the more established (UK)

-Triple Entente; France, Britain, Russia: Had moral obligation to support each other

- Triple Alliance; Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy: Provide military support to one another in case of a war

-UK produced HMS Dreadnought, it 'feared nothing' -Germany threatening UK to gain naval superiority

-Serbs, Greeks and Bulgars had revolted, creating their own nation -Struggled to maintain remaining Balkan territories

- Austrians losing their multi-ethnic empire - Serbia seen as a threat

- Saw itself as the leader of the Slavs - Balkans important because of the Constantinople strait

The Moroccan Crisis, The Bosnian Crisis, The Second Moroccan Crisis, First Balkan War, The Second Balkan War, Other developments

-Germany to break the entente up by attacking France in Morocco -Morocco not controlled by European powers -Germans assisted Moroccan Sultan to independence -British backed France up -Germans lacked support, thus, was defeated

-Internal crisis within the Ottoman Empire -Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina; caused tensions in Serbia -Germany stood 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with its ally -Russia weakened by the Japanese War -Austria-Hungary recognized

- France sent troops into Fez, Morocco to support a revolt -Germans saw this as a threat, thus, sent a gunboat in -Lloyd George warned the Germans off in his 'Mansion House Speech' -Franco-German Crisis turned into an Anglo-German confrontation

-Balkan states from an alliance (by Russian encouragement) -Objective; to force Turkey out and to take and divide Macadomia up between themselves -Austria called for war -UK anxious to end the war -Turkish land divided amongst themselves -Austria-Hungary succeeded in containing Serbia

-Bulgaria went to war with Serbia and Greece over an occupied Serbian territory -Too many Bulgarians in Serbian and Greek territories -Austria-Hungary seeked German aid -Serbs, Greeks and Turks defeated Bulgaria

-Militarism:Conscription introduced, increased in spending on armaments -War Plans: Schlieffen Plan

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand: -Serbian black hand movement -To unify Slavs from Austro-Hungarians -Germany supported Austria by issuing a 'blank cheque' - unconditional support' -Third Balkan War on the 30th July