Short term causes of the war: The Bosnian Crisis of 1908: Austria had occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina

since 1878. IN September 1908, Russia and Austria agreed that at some point in the future these provinces would be included in the Austrian Empire. In October 1908, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Annexation angered Serbia who did not want to be federated with Russia but want to expand into Bosnia to become a Greater Serbia. Russia gave support to Serbia, but had to accept the Austria annexation. Russia was humiliated and was forced to back down and Serbia was resentful at the outcome of the crisis. Austria was encouraged by Germanys support. The role nationalism played in the growing international tensions is best demonstrated in the Balkans. It was originally part of the Ottoman Empire but this region had broken away and established independent states. Growing numbers of radical pan-Slavic nationalists living under the Hapsburgs wanted a Greater Serbia not a federated Austria-Hungary. With Serbias ambition to become the Piedmont of a pan-Slavic state made the region more volatile. The Balkan Wars, 1912-13: Serbia posed a threat to Austria. It had gained independence from Ottoman control in 1830, and grew as a result of wars against the Ottomans. In 1912, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro formed the Balkan League. This alliance wanted to drive the Turks out of Macedonia. The Ottoman (Turkish) Empire was distracted by an internal revolution and a war with Italy over North Africa. Using this opportunity, the Balkan League attacked the Turks and began the Balkan Wars. The success of the League worried the Great Powers, especially Austria. A treaty was signed in May 1913 the Bulgarians who felt cheated of some territorial gains, declared war on both Greece and Serbia but were defeated by Serbia, Greece, Turkey and Romania. Results of the war: Turkey lost most of her European territory. She faced the prospect of Greece and Bulgaria. Bulgaria was left weakened. By 1913, Serbia had doubled its population and closer to her aim of becoming a Greater Serbia. Bismarcks legacy:

The unification of Germany and establishment of the German Empire in 1871 altered the distribution of power in Europe. The federation of German states, which made up the new united Germany, was dominated by Prussia. For nearly 20 years, Bismarck struggled to keep liberalism, socialism and democracy at bay. Bismarcks objective after 1871 was to stabilize Europe around the new German Empire. The formation of the Triple Alliance: In 1879, Bismarck formed a military alliance with Austria-Hungary, to maintain French diplomatic isolation and to force Austrian cooperation with Russia. Having bound Germany, Austria-Hungary together, Bismarck drew in Italy and in 1882, the Triple Alliance was formed. The terms were if any member became involved in war with two or more powers, its allies would come to its aids by force of arms. To be on the safe side, Bismarck also signed the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia, in which they would remain neutral in a conflict involving the other power. Since Russia and Austria were enemies (due to the Balkans), it took considerable diplomatic finesse. At the same time, France pursued her colonial ambitions in Africa. As a result of a nationalist uprising in Egypt, which threatened the security of European financial interests, and the Suez Canal, Britain sought French assistance to establish a joint occupation of the country. After Bismarcks retirement, the system proved too intricate, and the RussoGerman agreement lapsed. The French faced by the Triple Alliance, formed an alliance with Russia, The Franco- Russian Alliance signed in 1894. After unification in 1871, the power of Germany had increased rapidly. Manufacturing, finance, population and shipping all grew. For example, by 1900, Germany had more steel production than France and Britain combined and German furnaces turned out two thirds of the European total. More electricity was generated in Germany than in Britain, Italy and France combined. Such dramatic economic expansion was viewed with alarm by Germanys neighbours, especially France. Up to 1890, Bismarck had succeeded in minimizing this threat by keeping France diplomatically isolated, but his successors were not able to maintain French containment. By 1892, France had managed to conclude a military alliance with Russia.

German industrial expansion and military strength were a threat to both Russian and French governments, and they tried to catch up, but the gap continued to widen. By 1910, Germany produced 3x as much iron as France, 4x as much steel and 7x as much coal. Russias population expanded and the country underwent industrialisation. She became the 4th greatest industrialised power behind Britain, Germany and the United States and overtook French in coal, iron and steel production. Europe was divided by 1894 into 2 camps, the German-Austrian-Italian against the Franco-Russian. Germany, France and Russia cooperated in the Far Eastern crisis of 1895 to stem the expanding power of Japan. All were anti-British at the time of Fashoda and the Boer War. Britain had splendid isolation. Fashoda and the Boer War came as a shock. British relations with France and Russia were very bad. The Kaisers Kruger Telegram of 1896, expressing support for South African Boers in their conflict with Britain had caused Anglo-German relations to deteriorate. Anglo-German economic and naval rivalry: German imperial ambitions and the creation of a big German navy , were seen as challenges by Britain. The German naval program, which mounted rapidly after 1898 became a concern to British and by 1912, was felt as a threat. The British then emerged from the diplomatic isolation. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance improved Anglo- French relations. In 1902, they formed a military alliance with Japan against Russia (common enemy). In 1904, the British and French government agreed to forget Fashoda, and settled most of their colonial problems. In return for France accepting British supremacy in Egypt, Britain accepted that French penetration of Morocco. It was not an alliance but an Entente Cordiale. The Moroccan Crisis: The Germans felt encircled by the alliance of France and Russia, and the German government wanted to test the Entente cordiale, to see how far the British would go to support France. March 1905, Kaiser William disembarked from a German warship, where he made a speech for Moroccan independence. Germany was not primarily attempting to keep France out of Morocco but to drive Britain and France apart. The Germans demanded a conference and had an international conference at Algeciras, but the conference supported French claims of Morocco and only Austria voted with Germany. Germanys action disturbed France and French and British naval officers began

discuss common plans. Distrust of Germany inclined the British to bury the hatchet with Russia the next year. In 1911, there was a 2nd Moroccan Crisis. A German gunboat arrived at Agadir. The Germans offered to make no further trouble if they could have the French Congo. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand: June 28th, 1914, a Bosnian revolutionary, a member of the Black Hand, assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia in the Austrian Empire. The Serbians in Bosnia had resented Austria[s annexation of the region in 1908. The German issued the black cheque, the Austrians sent a 10-point ultimatum to Serbia, (5th-6th July- the Kaiser and chancellor Bethmann Hollweg promised full German support for Austria Hungary against Serbia) The Serbs counted on Russian support, the Russians counted on France, France terrified at the possibility of war alone with Germany wanted to keep Russia as an ally and gave a black check to Russia. The Serbs rejected the Austrian ultimatum, and Austria declared war on Serbia. Russia prepared to defend Serbia and hence fight Austria. Expecting that Austria would be joined by Germany, Russia mobilised its army, Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. Sure that France would enter the war by the side of Russia, Germany also declared war on France on August 3rd. Germany hoped that Great Britain might not enter the war at all, as they had no formal military alliance.