Steps to war - aggression by japan, italy and germany 1931-1939

 1_ Why did war break out in Europe in 1914?
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated by a Bosnian student. This was the trigger for the start of the war. The main tensions were Morocco, the Balkan wars and the military alliances. To have a general context we have to understand the general scene in Europe. There was a rivalry between powers and in this era nationalism was stronger than ever.
a) Colonial Conflicts: The Moroccan crises:
- Berlin conference (1885): Rules were established for the colonization of the African continent by European Empires. The rise of powers reopened the conflict. - Spain + France vs Morocco + Germany (1905): which authorized a Franco-Spanish protectorate, forced the Germans to back down. - Agadir Conference (1911): The Germans went to support Morocco again in an uprising they had. The Germans ended up getting Cameroon in reward from the French, even though they had Great Britain’s support.
b) Nationalism:
- In order to defend their interests, European colonies became increasingly nationalistic. This created a climate of mistrust amongst everyone. Some Europeans aspired to become independent states while
others defended their status as great traditional Empires. The Balkans were still ruled by the Ottoman Empire as they had been for centuries. This was the center of heightened tension. The tension, mistrust
and ambition everyone had helped the war to break out.
c) Alsace and Lorain:
- The German Empire was united with the French region of Alsace-Lorain that followed its victory in the France-Austrian war. While in the British and German Empire, there was a strong rivalry because of the
economic control and trade rates in Europe.
d) The Balkan war (1912-1913):
- The Ottoman Empire was in collapse, due to this the Austria-Hungarian Empire was planning to gain power over the Balkans. However, Serbia and Russia also wanted to have power there. Serbia allied with Russia and gained the victory. Because of this Austro-Hungary looked for the help and support of Germany. This was the Balkan war.
2_ Name the military alliances that fought in The First World War:
Triple Alliance: - Germany + Austria-Hungary + Italy - Bulgary, Ottoman Empire Triple Entente: - Great Britain + France + Russia + Italy -Serbia, Romania, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Japan,USA