Heimler's History: World War I Causes

Overview

• Focus of Unit 7: Causes of World War I.
• Connection of WWI to 20th Century: Events in the 20th century have direct/indirect links to WWI.

Main Causes of World War I

Militarism

• Definition: Desire of a state to develop/maintain a strong military to advance interests.
• Key Players: Britain and Germany.
• Actions: Heavy recruitment, naval buildup, development of new weapons.
• Role of the Industrial Revolution: Facilitated mass production of weapons.

Alliances

• Definition: Agreements for mutual self-defense between countries.
• Implications: Countries pledged to defend one another if attacked.

Imperialism

• Definition: Domination of one country over another for political/economic control.
• Historical Context: 1750-1900 empire building; competition for colonies (Africa, China).

Nationalism

• Definition: Strong identification with one's nation, often excluding others.
• Comparison: Different from patriotism, which is mere identification with one’s own nation.

Historical Insight

• Frederick Passy's Observation (1895): Predicted global conflict due to tensions.

The Spark: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Date: June 28, 1914.
• Location: Sarajevo.
• Conspiracy: Planned by "The Black Hand", a Serbian nationalist group.
• Failed Attempts: Several assassins failed to act; bomb attempt failed.
• The Event: Gavrilo Princip accidentally encounters Archduke, successfully assassinates him and his wife.

Escalation into World War

• Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
• Chain Reaction:
  • Germany supports Austria-Hungary.
  • Russia supports Serbia.
  • Germany declares war on Russia and France.
  • Britain declares war on Germany.
  • Austria declares war on Russia.

Conclusion

• Next Steps: Focus in next video will be on the war itself.
• Study Aids: Review packets and videos available for further learning.

Engagement

• Subscribe: For ongoing educational content on history topics.