Marching Toward War

Introduction
Efforts to outlaw war and achieve a permanent peace had been gaining momentum in Europe since the middle of the 19th century. Some Europeans believed that progress had made war a thing of the past. Yet in little more than a decade, a massive war would spread across the globe.

Rising Tensions in Europe

Below

the surface of peace and goodwill, Europe witnessed several gradual developments that would ultimately help propel the continent into war.

The Rise of Nationalism

The growth of nationalismdeep devotion to ones nationcaused intense competition among the Great Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, and France. The Great Powers competed for markets and territory. Intense nationalism in the nations of the Balkans led to demands for independence among Serbs, Bulgarians, Romanians, and others.

Imperialism and Militarism

Imperialism, and the quest for colonies sometimes pushed European nations to the brink of war and intensified the sense of rivalry and mistrust. The nations of Europe took pride in having strong militaries and being prepared for war. This led to a dangerous arms race. Glorifying military power is called militarism.

Tangled Alliances
Growing

rivalries and mutual mistrust had led to the creation of several military alliances among the Great Powers as early as the 1870s. This alliance system had been designed to keep peace in Europe. But it would instead help push the continent into war.

Bismarck Forges Early Pacts

Between 1864 and 1871, Prussias bloodand-iron chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, freely used war to unify Germany. Bismarck saw France as the greatest threat to peace. His goal was to isolate France and leave it without allies. In 1879, Bismarck formed the Dual Alliance between Germany and AustriaHungary. In 1881, Italy joined this alliance forming the Triple Alliance.

Triple Alliance (1881)

Shifting Alliances Threaten Peace

In 1890, Germanys foreign policy changed dramatically. That year, Kaiser Wilhelm IIruler of Germanyforced Bismarck to resign. Wilhelm let his nations treaty with Russia lapse in 1890. Russia formed a military alliance with France in 1892 and 1894. Such an alliance had been Bismarcks fear.

Picture of Kaiser Wilhelm II

Shifting Alliances Threaten Peace (continued)

Kaiser Wilhelm II starts a shipbuilding program to make the German navy equal to the British fleet. Alarmed by this, England forms the Triple Entente with France and Russia. Therefore, there are two rival camps in Europe: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.

Military Alliances Before World War I

Crisis in the Balkans

This mountainous peninsula in the southeastern corner of Europe was home to an assortment of ethnic groups. With a long history of nationalist uprisings and ethnic clashes, the Balkans was known as the powder keg of Europe.

A Restless Region
By the early 1900s the Ottoman Turks had declined and the peoples of the Balkans had formed new nations: Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. Serbia had a large Slavic population and was supported by Russia. In 1908, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbian leaders were outraged and tensions between the two nations rose.

A Shot Rings Throughout Europe

On June 28, 1914 the heir to the throne of Austria, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, paid a visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. Foolishly, they were riding in an open car.

Assassination and Ultimatum

The couple was shot by 19-yearold Gavrilo Princip (right), a Serbian nationalist member of the terrorist organization Black Hand.

Location of Assassination

Historical Marker

Ultimatum
Austria

delivers an ultimatum to Serbia with numerous demands on July 23, 1914. Serbia agreed to most of the demands trying to avoid war.

Historical Artifact

The blood stained uniform of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The War Begins

July

28, 1914: Austria rejects Serbias offer of most of the demands and declared war on Serbia. Russia, the protector of Serbia, mobilizes its forces toward the Austrian border.