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World War I

Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die.


-Alfred Lord Tennyson
The Death of Archduke
Ferdinand
As the car quickly reversed, a thin stream of
blood spurted from His Highness's mouth onto
my right check. As I was pulling out my
handkerchief to wipe the blood away from his
mouth, the Duchess cried out to him, "For God's
sake! What has happened to you?"
At that she slid off the seat and lay on the floor
of the car, with her face between his knees.
I had no idea that she too was hit and thought
she had simply fainted with fright. Then I heard
His Imperial Highness say, "Sophie, Sophie,
don't die. Stay alive for the children!"
The Death of Archduke
Ferdinand
At that, I seized the Archduke by the collar of his
uniform, to stop his head dropping forward and
asked him if he was in great pain. He answered
me quite distinctly, "It is nothing!"
His face began to twist somewhat but he went on
repeating, six or seven times, ever more faintly as
he gradually lost consciousness, "It's nothing!
Then came a brief pause followed by a convulsive
rattle in his throat, caused by a loss of blood. This
ceased on arrival at the governor's residence.
The two unconscious bodies were carried into the
building where their death was soon established.
Who participated in WWI?
• Central Powers (Triple
Alliance): Germany,
Austria-Hungary,
Ottoman Empire (also
Bulgaria)
• Allies (Triple Entente):
Britain, France, Russia
(later, Japan, Italy and
U.S.)
What was Militarism?
• Militarism means a build up of
a nation’s army
• France and German Armies
doubled between 1870-1914
• Industrial Revolution
• The Invention of the
“Battleship”
What was Imperialism?
• when a country takes over new
lands or countries and makes them
subject to their rule.
• By 1900 the British Empire
extended over five continents
• By 1900 France had control of large
areas of Africa.
• This Made Germany quite jealous
What were the Alliances?
• agreements made between two or
more countries to give each other
help if it is needed.
• meant that some countries had to
declare war if one of their allies
declared war.
• There were two main alliances in
the years before WWI.
What is Nationalism?
• a strong supporter of the rights
and interests of one's country.
What was the immediate
Cause of war?
• June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, Austrian heir to throne,
assassinated by a Serbian while
visiting Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany) pledges
support to Austria to punish Serbia
What was the immediate
Cause of war?
• Austria demanded that Austrian
officials take part in any
investigation
• Serbia refused this demand as a
violation of its sovereignty
• On July 28, Austria-Hungary
declared war on Serbia

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