The War to End All Wars: World War I

Overview

• World War I (WWI) was intended to be "the war to end all wars."
• First global conflict in history.
• Started with an assassination and a series of complex decisions.
• Involved countries from Europe, Russia, the United States, and the Middle East.
• Main combatants: Central Powers vs. Allied Powers.

Key Players

• Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria.
• Allied Powers: France, Britain, Russia, Portugal, Japan, later joined by the United States.

Causes of WWI

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated on June 28, 1914.
• Assassin: Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist with ties to the Black Hand society.

Role of Kaiser Wilhelm II

• Leader of Germany, wanted to strengthen Germany's dominance in Europe.
• Allied with Austria-Hungary, encouraged aggressive stance against Serbia.
• Gave Austria-Hungary a "blank check" to support its war efforts.

Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to Serbia

• Austria-Hungary issued a harsh ultimatum to Serbia, knowing it would be rejected, leading to war.

Triple Entente Influences

• Russia: Quick to mobilize military, perhaps for power/territory gains.
• France: Secretly supported Russia, providing a "blank cheque."
• Great Britain: Viewed Germany as a threat to its empire, avoided diplomatic resolutions.

Motivations Behind the War

Austria-Hungary

• Desired more territory in the Balkans, saw the assassination as a pretext for war.
• Issued an ultimatum to Serbia to portray Serbia as the aggressor.

Germany

• Considered having the most responsibility for the war.
• Could have prevented war by withdrawing support for Austria-Hungary.
• Aimed to weaken Russia and France through strategic destabilization.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted war as Germany peaked and feared losing power.

Reflections and Lessons

• WWI resulted from aggressive nationalism and power struggles among nations.
• Could have been avoided through diplomatic solutions.
• Preceded by Balkan Wars and extreme nationalism in Serbia.
• Set the stage for future conflicts, leading to World War II.

Conclusion

• No single country solely to blame, but many were responsible.
• Leaders' desire for power and failure to negotiate led to millions of deaths.
• Historical reinterpretation might differ if the war's outcome was different.