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Section 1
Europe on the Brink of War (link) -Over the last few decades, tensions in Europe had been rising -Militarism -Build up of the military -Every country tried to outdo other countries’ armies -Protection of colonies -Anxious to start fighting at first sign of trouble -Countries wanted other countries to help out in case of a fight -Secret negotiations/diplomacy -Triple Alliance -Germany, A-H, Italy -Triple Entente -France, Russia, Great Britain -Imperialism -Countries wanted more land -Europe limited in size -Rivalries formed (didn’t want other countries to be more powerful) -Nationalism -Strong feelings of pride, loyalty to one’s country -Balkan area heavily nationalistic -Lots of ethnic groups -Serbia wanted to expand borders to include more Serbians -A-H opposed it (fear of rebellions)
War Breaks Out -Serbia not liking A-H -Archduke Franz Ferdinand visits Sarajevo (Bosnia) -June 28, 1914 -Serbian named Gavrilo Princip shoots and kills archduke and wife -Princip arrested after trying to kill himself -AH claims Serbia knew of plot (they were right) -Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia -Alliances force other countries into war -Germany declares war on Russia -Russia supported Serbia -Then on France (Russia’s ally) -Schlieffen Plan -German plan to win war -Quickly defeat France then head east to Russia -August 4, 1914ŕGermany invades Belgium then France -Belgium neutral country -Alliances solidify -Central PowersŕGerman, Austria Hungary -Allied PowersŕRussia, France, England, Serbia Fighting in 1914 -Battle of the Frontiers -Early fighting between Germany and France/England -Battle of Tannenberg -Germany crushes Russia in Eastern Germany -Both sides literally “dug in” for a long fight in Northern France (Western Front) -Trench warfare -400 miles of trenches dug -Neither side any major gains -Nasty conditions -Diseases, dead bodies, stagnant water, rats, lice |
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