World Wars Compared - Causes

1. World Wars Compared
CAUSES

2. Causes of World War I
(interpretations anyone?)

3. The Environment for the Great
War was created by
• ALLIANCES
In order to balance power and “protect”
themselves, the nations of Europe were
in military alliances with other nations.

5. War was in the air?
• NATIONALISM
Patriotism and loyalty were on the rise
among many groups in Europe.

6. • INDUSTRIALIZED MILITARISM
Nations now had the technology to
mass produce war material in mass
quantities. (Germany was especially aggressive.)

7. • IMPERIALISM drew more regions into the war

8. There were of course many other
contributing factors to the outbreak of
WWI, for example:
List of Events:
 1870-1871: Franco-Prussian War
 1899-1900: Boer War
 1900: German Navy Law
 1905-6:First Moroccan Crisis
 1908: Daily Telegraph article
 1908-9:Bosnian Crisis
 1911:Agadir Affair (Second Moroccan Crisis)
 1912: First Balkan War
 1913: Second Balkan War
 These are examples of conflicts and increased tensions
between major European powers prior to the outbreak of
the First World War.

10. Game on!
• Assassination of
Archduke of
Austria-Hungary by
a Serbian
nationalist .
• Austria-Hungary
blamed the Serbian
government and
prepared for
invasion.

11. Game on!
• Germany assured Austria-Hungary of
full assistance in a war.
• Austria-Hungary declared war on
Serbia.
• Russia declared war on Austria-
Hungary.
• Germany declared war on Russia and
France.

12. • The Ottoman Empire declared war on
Russia and the other Allies in hopes of
regaining land it had lost.
• Germany moved troops into Belgium to
invade France. Belgians resisted.

13. • Belgium and Great Britain declared war
on Germany and the other Central
Powers.
• AUGUST, 1914 – The Great War began!

15. WWI - “A Family Feud”
Central Powers:
• Wilhelm II - the
Kaiser of Germany
• Franz Joseph - the
Emperor of Austria-
Hungary
Allies:
• Nicholas II - the Tsar
of Russia
• George V - King of
England
• Albert - King of
Belgium
• Wilhelm II, Nicholas
II, and George V were
COUSINS
• Albert was their
SECOND COUSIN
• Franz Joseph was their
GREAT UNCLE
ALSO:
• Alexandra, Nicholas
II’s wife, was a cousin
of Wilhelm II, George
V, and her husband
Nicholas II.
• She was a German
princess.

17. “The War (WWI) was decided in the
first twenty days of fighting, and all
that happened afterwards consisted
in battles which, however formidable
and devastating, were but desperate
and vain appeals against the decision
of Fate.”
Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), British
statesman, writer. Preface to E. L. Spears,
Liaison 1914 (1930).

19. • In 1917, Russia withdrew because of
revolution/civil war in Russia
• The U.S. joined the Allies because of
the “Rape of Belgium,” German
unrestricted submarine warfare, & the
Zimmerman telegram.

20. World War II
(same song, second verse?)

23. The Environment for
World War II was created by:
• Resentment
about the Treaty
of Versailles – in
the peace treaty that
ended WWI, Germany
was “punished”, and
Italy & Japan didn’t
gain the territory they
thought they
deserved.

24. Environment for WAR:
• Global Economic Depression – the
most severe and widespread economic
crisis of history took place in the 1930s.

25. Environment for WAR:
• Economic problems allowed leaders with
radical ideas to gain a following in Germany,
Italy, Japan, Spain, and elsewhere.

26. Fascism – “Conservative Revolutionaries”
In Germany, Italy, & Japan? (& Spain)
leaders offered a “new” political ideology
FOR: Strong authority & central
government, nationalism, aggression
AGAINST: “enemies”, individualism,
feminism, parliamentary democracy,
COMMUNISM

27. Environment for WAR:
• German, Japanese, Italian, (& Soviet Russia)
militarism, nationalism, and desire for
expansion led to aggression.

30. Japan invaded China / SE Asia

32. Britain, France, and the U.S. did NOT
want war again (for economic, political,
social reasons).

33. And then war
• Japan invaded China in
force in 1937.
• Nazi Germany invaded
Poland in 1939.
• Nazi Germany and Italy
invaded France and
everywhere else they
could.
• Japan attacked Pearl
Harbor in 1941 and
everywhere else they
could.

37. World War II experiences –
Soviet Union China