How Did World War 1 Start?

# The Causes of World War I

This transcript explores the mechanisms and missteps that led to the first World War. It examines the factors that caused the war, how it could have been prevented, and how to avoid repeating past mistakes.

The Start of World War I

• World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918 and included countries in Europe, Russia, the United States, and countries in the Middle East.

• The two main sides of the war were the Central Powers which consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria who fought against the Allied Powers of France, Britain, Russia, Portugal and Japan.

• The conflict started with Serbia and Austria-Hungary. Serbian nationalists wanted to liberate South Slavs of Austria-Hungary thus unifying Slavic peoples under one nation. This extreme nationalism led to assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was heir to Astro-Hungarian Empire by Gavrilo Princip.

Aggressive Decisions

• Kaiser Wilhelm II secretly funded Austria-Hungary in their endeavor to suppress Serbia. He allowed Germany to give Austria-Hungary a carte blanche or “blank check”.

• With assassination of their heir and backing from Germany,Austria-Hungary felt empowered to start their war with Serbia.

• It is undeniable that World War I started because of aggressive decisions made by Austria-Hungary and Germany.

Could it Have Been Avoided?

• Let's take a look at Triple Entente nations which consisted of a secret pact between Great Britain, France,and Russia.

• Russia may have wanted war to claim more territory and power for the nation.

• France did not make any outwardly aggressive moves.

# France and Great Britain's Role in WWI

This section discusses the role of France and Great Britain in World War I.

France's Role

• France funded the Russian military to start a war that they could benefit from.

• France encouraged Russia’s aggression towards Austria-Hungary and Germany to weaken Germany.

• French leaders did not like having the powerful nation of Germany next door.

Great Britain's Role

• Great Britain was a dominant force in colonization and had control of the seas with their powerful Navy.

• Britain saw Germany as a threat to their empire, which led them to encourage Russian aggression.

• Great Britain had an inferiority complex when it came to Germany, which may have driven them to stay out of diplomatic talks.

# Blame for World War I

This section discusses who is responsible for starting World War I.

Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance

• The nations of the Triple Entente were not free of blame for starting the conflict.

• Lets take a closer look at the motives and actions of the Triple Alliance, which was the secret pact between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Austria-Hungary's Motives

• Austria-Hungary wanted to add more land and people to its already large empire by taking over Serbian lands.

• Austria-Hungary sent an ultimatum to Serbia that required Serbia to accept an Austro-Hungarian inquiry into the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. The inquiry would be conducted solely by Austria-Hungarian investigators.

• Serbia did not accept the ultimatum, which led to war.

Germany's Role

• Germany is considered the most responsible for World War I in a conflict that they did not directly start.

# Germany's Motivations for War

In this section, we learn about Germany's motivations for starting a war and how they strategically destabilized the Balkans to achieve their goals.

Germany's Need for War

• Germany needed to find a way to declare war on their competitors in the region without doing it themselves.

• If Germany allowed the rest of Europe to catch up they would lose power and prestige.

• Kaiser Wilhelm II believed that he was predestined by God to lead his country to greatness and maintained that the only way to ensure Germany's spot of power was through war.

Strategically Destabilizing the Balkans

• By destabilizing the Balkans, Germany could goad Russia, and therefore France, into a war with their ally.

• This would allow Germany to start a war to suit their needs without risking unifying the entire continent of Europe against them.

Avoiding War

• The leaders of Europe could have avoided war if they were less hungry for power and more willing to negotiate.

• World War I was not unavoidable, but some leaders saw it as a desirable outcome or were forced into it by allies.