World War One: From a Regional Conflict to a Global War

Causes of World War One

Long-Term Causes

1. Militarism

   • Desire to increase military capacity to defend national interests.
   • Industrial Revolution increased state capacity to produce weapons.
   • Major powers nearly doubled military spending during the Second Industrial Revolution.

2. Antagonistic Alliances

   • Otto von Bismarck's leadership increased antagonism between Germany and Britain/France.
   • Formation of the Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy.
   • Formation of the Triple Entente: Britain, Russia, France.

3. Imperialism

   • European powers competed for territories in Africa and Asia.
   • Moroccan Crisis nearly led to war between Germany, Britain, and France.

4. Nationalism

   • Nationalism solidified as a force in modern nation-states.
   • Military aggression seen as a means to vindicate national honor.
   • Germany's control of Alsace and Lorraine fueled French nationalism.

Short-Term Cause

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914)
  • Assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist.
  • Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia spurred nationalist movements.
  • Conflict escalated due to existing alliances.

The Outbreak of World War One

• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
• Russia allied with Serbia; Germany declared war on Russia.
• Alliance system led to broader conflict.

New Warfare Technologies

• Trench Warfare

  • Combined with machine guns and barbed wire.
  • Resulted in staggering casualties.

• Chemical Weapons

  • Introduction of chlorine gas by Germans.

• Submarines and Airplanes

  • Germans used submarines; airplanes introduced to warfare.

Total War

• All state resources used for the war effort.
• Factories converted, food rationing implemented.
• Sacrifices led to discontent and insurrections.

Global Impact

• Easter Rebellion in Ireland

  • Irish discontent with British rule.

• Involvement of Colonies

  • Colonial soldiers, e.g., Indian troops for Britain, North Africans for France.

• Theaters Beyond Europe

  • Armenian genocide by Ottoman Empire.
  • Japan's entry, seizing German colonies in Asia.

United States Entry and Treaty of Versailles

• US entered due to German submarine aggression.
• US entry shifted balance, aiding Triple Entente victory.
• Treaty of Versailles (1918)
  • Altered global power balance.
  • US emerged as a global power.
  • Dissolution of Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.
  • Punishment of Germany set stage for World War II.

These notes summarize the key points and context surrounding the causes, progression, and consequences of World War One.