European Alliances and the Outbreak of World War I

Formation of Alliances

• 1882 Triple Alliance: Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary signed an agreement to defend each other.
• Early 1900s Tensions: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany expressed desires for expansion.
• UK and France Rivalry: Historically, UK and France had large empires and were rivals.

Entente Cordiale and Triple Entente

• 1904 Entente Cordiale: UK and France set aside differences and formed an alliance.
• Triple Entente Formation: Expanded to include Russia.
• Perception of Strength: These alliances believed their collective strength would deter attacks.

Germany's Strategic Plans

• Schlieffen Plan: Germany's plan to quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium before Russia could mobilize.

Tensions in the Balkans

• 1908 Austrian Annexation of Bosnia: Angered Serbia, which wanted to unify with Bosnia due to shared Slavic heritage.
• The Black Hand: A Serbian secret military group planning to assassinate Austrian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a member of The Black Hand.

Outbreak of World War I

• July 28, 1914: Austria declared war on Serbia, starting World War I.
• Alliance Support:
  • Germany supported Austria-Hungary.
  • Russia supported Serbia.

Implementation of the Schlieffen Plan

• German Invasion of Belgium: Faced unexpected resistance.
• UK Involvement: UK defended Belgium based on prior treaties.
• Quick Russian Mobilization: Faster than Germany anticipated.

Consequences

• Surrounding of Germany: Germany found itself surrounded by enemies.
• Duration and Casualties: Intense fighting for four years resulted in approximately 40 million deaths.