Causes and Key Events of World War I
**World War I (1914-1918)**
*Causes*
**1. The Armed Peace (1890-1914)**
In 1870, a unified Germany emerged as the new military and economic power in Europe. Otto von Bismarck, the German Chancellor, devised a new system of alliances. This system aimed to isolate France, which had lost Alsace-Lorraine in 1870, and Germany feared French desires for revenge. Bismarck also sought to maintain the balance of power in the Balkans, where Russia and Austria had opposing interests.
In 1890, Bismarck was dismissed, and a new system of international relations began. Europe was grouped into two blocks:
- Triple Entente: France, Russia, and Great Britain
- Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
An arms race began as countries grew increasingly fearful of one another.
**2. Previous Confrontations Before WWI**
Colonial Reasons:
France and Great Britain possessed vast colonial empires, while Germany had a smaller one. This led to confrontations between Germany, France, and the UK over colonial territories. In 1905 and 1911, two colonial crises occurred in Morocco because France wanted to establish a protectorate there, and Germany opposed it.
Conflicts in the Balkans:
The Ottoman (Turkish) Empire was weakening, and Austria-Hungary and Russia sought to take advantage of the situation. Russia supported Serbia and Bulgaria, while Austria-Hungary aimed to acquire Albania and Montenegro in the southern Adriatic. Between 1908 and 1913, three significant conflicts occurred in the region.
**3. Crisis of June 1914**
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo while demonstrating Austrian sovereignty in Bosnia. The assassin was a Serbian terrorist, a student who had entered the country.
Austria-Hungary presented an ultimatum to Serbia in July 1914. The ultimatum demanded that Serbia allow Austria-Hungary to investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand or face war. Russia supported Serbia in rejecting the ultimatum, leading Russia to declare war against Austria-Hungary and Germany. Germany then declared war on Russia and subsequently on France. Great Britain also declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary, effectively dissolving the Triple Alliance.
*Development*
**1. Alliances**
- Central Powers: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Turkey, and Bulgaria
- Allied Powers: France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Belgium, and the United States
**2. War of Movement (Summer/Fall 1914)**
Germany aimed for a swift victory over France to then focus on Russia. The Germans implemented the Schlieffen Plan, which involved a surprise attack on France through Belgium. However, the Germans were halted at the Battle of the Marne, near Paris.
Russia attacked Germany, but their hasty advance led to defeats at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes. Nevertheless, they managed to divert German troops to the east, thus saving Paris.
**3. Trench Warfare (1914-1917)**
Also known as the war of positions. Germany was unable to advance significantly either eastward or westward, failing in every attempt. The objective shifted to securing established positions.
Defensive tactics and weaponry were superior, and the war fronts stabilized. Battles were extremely brutal, bloody, and prolonged, but resulted in minimal territorial gains (e.g., Battles of Verdun and the Somme).
The war extended to the sea, where a naval conflict ensued. The British fleet blockaded Germany, which resorted to submarine warfare.