#29 AIM: How did Increasing Tensions in Europe lead to World War I?

Tensions had been increasing in Europe since the middle of the 19^th century, as the Europeans began a scramble to grab colonies all around the globe, and began to fiercely compete with each other for trade & economic power. Matters were made worse in the latter part of the century as Italy & Germany were created as modern nations from a group of divided provinces. They then joined the race to grab colonies. By the end of the century almost all of Africa, Australia, and large parts of Asia were under European domination.

In 1877 the new nation of Germany easily defeated France in the brief Franco-Prussian War. Germany took two French provinces, Alsase & Lorraine. Bitter feelings remained between the two nations. Since Germany had come late for the race to grab colonies, she was very aggressive in pursuit of her goal.

Nationalism, or the love of one’s nation, or the desire for a people to be free & independent from the control of another nation, was also creating great tensions. Many ethnic groups such as the Slavs, Poles, & Czechs wanted to create their own nation.

As new technology created many new weapons there was an arms race to build, develop, or purchase these new weapons. As one nation expanded their military, their neighbors or rivals, fearing this increased power, also enlarged their armies. The Europeans also believed that they had to have a strong military to acquire new colonies, protect their old ones, and to prevent expansion by their rivals.

Many of the Europeans, in an attempt to protect them selves, entered into alliances with other nations to come to each other’s aid in case of attack. The two major alliances were the Central Powers, made up of Germany, the Austria-Hungary Empire, Italy & the Ottoman Empire. The Allies were France, Great Britain, Russia, Serbia, and in 1917 the US. Italy changed sides to join the Allies after the war began.

The war began with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand & his wife Sophie, in the city of Sarajevo, in June 1914. They were shot by a Serbian nationalist who wanted to unite all Serbs, many of who were living in the southern part of the Austria-Hungary Empire, into the nation of Serbia.

Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia came to Serbia’s aid, Germany attacked Russia, & when German troops marched through Belgium to attack France, Great Britain entered the war! The war was not supposed to last long but dragged on until 1918. Most of the fighting was done from long trenches, from which both sides lived & fought from. The war was fought with 19^th century tactics, with both sides charging from their trenches towards the enemy. Horse drawn wagons & horsepower was still the main provider of supplies to the battlefield.

However both sides were now fighting with 20^th century weapons. New technology provided the long-range cannon, which could fire a shell almost 20 miles, the machine gun, poison gas, and the airplane. The airplane was originally used to look for the enemy but later in the war “dogfights” were fought between enemy air forces. Late in the war the British introduced the tank, but the most lethal & effect weapon was perfected by the Germans when they used the “U Boat” or submarine to great effect to cut off food & war supplies from reaching the Allies.

It was the German’s unrelenting and effective use of the submarine that finally forced the US to enter the war!

HOMEWORK: Read pgs 682 – 683. Do remaining T&N on pg 679, & do pg. 700 ques. 1.