Causes of the War
- Nationalism
- Nationalism increased tension between countries as Europeans detest the idea of a nation being a mix of ethnic groups
- France wanted to retrieve Alsace-Lorraine which was seized by Germans after a humiliating defeat
- Destabilized old multinational empires such as the Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire
- Imperialism
- In this time, countries began to build empires in attempts to compete with other nations for lands rich in raw materials as well as for places to build military bases to protect their empires
- Industrialized nations scrambled to carve colonies out of Africa, claimed islands in the Pacific, and siphon off parts of China.
- Militarism
- The glorification of one’s military fueled an Arms Race in preparation for the war.
- Germany’s stockpile of weapons during this time made them appear dangerous, as they had the largest, and deadliest collection of guns in the world.
- Germany also built up its navy to rival that of Britain's which was the strongest at the time, making them look more as enemies.
- Alliance
- In preparation for war, alliances were formed in order to assure backing in case of a conflict. Alliances caused leaders to act recklessly since they knew they would have powerful support if they ever got in trouble
- The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
- The Triple Entente consisted of France, Russia, and Great Britain
- Breaking Point
- On June 28th, 1914, the killing of Archeduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne enraged the Austro-Hungarians and was the tipping point that caused them to declare war against the Serbians and the rest of the Allies.
- William II of Germany promised German support for Austria-Hungary if they went to war, giving them confidence knowing that they would have someone to back them up, eventually causing them to wage war against the Serbians.
Why America Got Involved
- The sinking of the Lusitania by the Germans, which was a passenger ship that had 128 Americans on it, all of which died, raised awareness in America of the danger of Germany. Wilson continued to promote peace and neutrality as long as Germans promised not to sink any more passenger ships. This was a promise they did not keep however, as they sunk the French passenger ship Sussex.
- German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to Mexico, what is now known as the Zimmerman note, in which they promised to help return Mexican land from America in exchange for support in the war. The note also proposed that if the U.S. declared war on Germany, Mexico should declare war on them. Wilson called for a declaration of war after this note was intercepted by the British and given to Americans.