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Alliances
With a lot of built up tension, countries were worried about being attacked so they started forming alliances. France and Russia formed an alliance and eventually Britain was added. All three nations together formed the Triple Entente. -
Imperialism
Germany wanted to take Britain's place in being the dominant world power. They needed more territory and colonies in order to do so. Germany was building its own Empire in Morocco until France took control of it. Germany was then given land in another part of Africa as repayment. Germany was humiliated. This fueled their hatred for Britain and France. -
Militarism
Germany despised Britain for having a stronger navy. Germany increased its ships and built warships. Britain's response was to build more warships and expanding its navy. Eventually it turned into a competition for better warships and a greater navy. This created greater tension between the nations. -
Nationalism
Nationalists were proud of their country and it to be the greatest. They wanted to protect it. Givrilo Princip was encouraged by nationalism when he decided to shoot the archduke. Eventually the shooting blew up into a world war. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and His Wife, Sophie
A Serbian nationalist shot both Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, to death. The archduke and his wife were travelling to Sarajevo when Gavrilo Princip shot both of them. The assassination gave Austria-Hungary the opportunity to end their fight for independence against Serbia. Eventually Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia and ultimately World War 1 started. -
Germany's Blank Check to Austria-Hungary
Germany offered support to Austria-Hungary in whatever action it would take against Serbia. -
WWI Begins
World War 1 began when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Austria-Hungary declared a war on Serbia with the backing of Germany. When German troops marched on France and took a route through Belgium. Because Britain agreed to keep the neutrality of Belgium, they declared war on Germany right away. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
Germans attacked and sunk the British ship, Lusitania. More than 1,100 people died, 150 of those were Americans. Many Americans were angered. Later, Germany sunk more U.S. ships until eventually the United States entered World War 1. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman note proposed a military alliance between Mexico and Germany in case a war arose between Germany and the U.S. The telegram was intercepted by the British and given to the U.S. This telegram was one of many things that angered Americans and caused the U.S. to enter the World War. -
Germany's Resumption of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germany pledged to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare. However, it did not. As the Germans attacked more ships, Americans got angry. Eventually the U.S. was triggered enough and entered the world war. -
US Entry Into the War and Her Impact On It
President Wilson went before Congress to request a declaration of war on Germany. The U.S. Senate voted in support of the war. U.S. entry into the war helped bring the war on the Western Front of Europe to an end. With the entry, the U.S. helped bring the entire war to an end with military help and Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. -
Effects of WWI
With over 16 million deaths, World War 1 was one of the deadliest wars in history. The number of civilian and military casualties totals up to about 37 million. Nine new nations were formed: Finland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. The great shock and horror that the war released contributed to disillusionment. It was the sense that the war achieved nothing. It created more problems and ended nothing. -
Rise of Hitler
Hitler's rise in power started when he joined the German Workers' Party as an army political agent. As he gained more followers, he grew in status. He became the leader of the Nazi Party and Germany. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was signed between the Allied powers and Germany. It officially ended World War 1. It put the blame of the entire war on Germany. It reduced Germany's military power, put the country in debt, took land, and didn't allow Germany to join the League of Nations. It made the Germans angry because not only did they have to take blame for the war, they had to pay for it. -
Dawes Plan and Young Plan
The Dawes plan and Young plan were plans to ensure that Germany pays its dues. The plans had immediate effects but eventually failed. -
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic depression that originated in the United States. The stock market crash of 1929 started the chain of events that led to the Great Depression. Bank failures also helped cause the depression.
