WWI The Great War The First Modern War

SHORT TERM:
Assassination of Archduke and the July Crisis
o Single Catalyst for WWI was the assassination of the moderate archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo,
Bosnia on the June 28, 1914 by a Serbian/Bosnian nationalist group called the Black hand Gang
o Was heir of the Austro Hungarian Empire in succession of his farter (Franz Joseph I) and was not very well
liked by Bosnian + Serbian nationalists wanting to expand the empire and gain independence from the
Austro-Hungarian rule
o This notion of expansionism spreading throughout the empire was not going to benefit the Austrian-
Hungarian rule as if one nation could expand and become independent, it would encourage and
insight other nations surrounding it to do the same thing ultimately reducing the power of the
archduke.
o After the assassination of the archduke (a showcase that the nations comprising the Austro-Hungarian
empire could revolt against the higher controlling authority) the Austro Hungarian government issued
Serbia and Bosnia an ultimatum on the 23rd of July - a list of 15 unreasonable demands that the Serbs
would inevitably have to reject and go to war.
Such remarks included being in charge of the Serbian Judicial system, and punishing for the
distribution or creation of anti-Hungarian propaganda.
Serbia was very open about the process and accepted many of the requests however refuted
the notion of Austo-Hungary being involved in the Serbian Judicial System
o The Ultimatum was rejected on July 25th
o In the lead up to the Serbians response, Austria, in fear that Russia might attack Austria-Hungary if they
went to war with Serbia, gained the support of Germany who promised to defend the nation if Russia
decided to mobilise This was referred to as the blank check
o July 28th Austria Hungary Declare war on Serbia
o August 1st Germany warn Russia not to enter war and therefore declare war on Russia
o August 3rd Germany declares war on France + Belgium (Pathway to France) to quickly knock them
out of the war and avoid the war on two fronts Now they can focus on Russia
o August 4th Germany enter Belgium and Great Britain warns them the stand down but Germany
rejected and therefore Great Britain declared war on Germany
o By August 4th 1914 all of the Major powers of Europe were officially at war with each other.

Mobilisation of Russia
o Russia had the largest landmass and army in all Europe at the time of WWI. Due to this, in order to
properly mobilise they began pre-mobilisation on the 25th of July (Before Austria had actually
declared war on Serbia) highlights the militarism of the Europe
o Russias entrance into the war however was not to defend Serbia, it was more to re-establish their
dominance and assert their power in Europe after their embarrassing loss to Japan in the Russo-
Japanese War.
Russia could not remain a passive spectator whilst the Slavonic people were being trampled
down If Russia failed to fulfil her historic mission, she would be considered a decedent state
and who would henceforth have to take second place among the powers if at this critical
juncture, the Serbs were abandoned to their fate, Russian prestige in the Balkans would
collapse utterly

LONG TERM M.A.I.N

Militarism Will to war
o The policy of building up or creating a large military with the goal of having more and better weapons
than everyone else.
o Late 19th century was an era of military competition especially amongst the great European powers
o The policy of building a stronger military was judged relative to the nations neighbours, creating a
culture of paranoia, simultaneously heightening the search for alliances.
o The militaristic view was fed by the notion that war was good for a nation\
o Examples of this was the rise of British Naval Dominance and the Naval race with Germany
o The Death of Franz Ferdinand allowed the Austrian Field Marshal and Chief of General Staff of the
Austro-Hungarian army and navy - Conrad van Hotzendorf to express his militaristic visions.
Had been rejected by the archduke 27 times before his death.
Was incredibly eager to go to war
o Admitted by Kaiser Wilhelm after the war.
A great moral victory for Vienna, but with it, every reason for war is removed
 Alliances
o An agreement between two or more countries to help each other out and defend each other in times
of war.
o Between 1870 and 1940 a number of significant and catalysing alliances were made effectively
creating two camps bound by commitments to maintain severity and support other nations militarily.
o The Triple Alliance of 1882 linked Austria Hungary, Germany and Italy
o The Triple Entente of 1907 linked Great Britain, France and Russia
o Russia was suspicious over Austria Hungary for their interest in the Balkans
o France was sceptical about Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870

Imperialism
o A country attempts to extend its power and influence over other countries, through diplomacy or
military force.
o Imperial competition meant that number of colonies an empire had control over, the more successful
and righteous the nation was.

Nationalism / Jingoism
o Pride in ones country and the extreme belief that your nation is better than the others. You are willing
to defend your country for it and believe that it could be gods will for you to prove your supremacy.
The process strips nations of their empathy and blinds them to rational and logical conclusions.
o Social Darwinism
o Serbian nationalism was the trigger cause for the conflict of WWI and was responsible for the
Assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand
Instigated the domino effect of the July Crisis which eventuated in WWI

Each point of the MAIN argument are inextricably linked as they each culminated and influenced and
provoked each others escalation. In the end, what proved most devastating to the peace of Europe was the
combination of an alliance network, with the widespread, misguided view that war was good for nation
building a notion that by the end of the war, was dead.