World War I: Causes and Conflict

World War I: Origins and Development

Pre-war Crises

• First Morocco Crisis (1905-1906)

  Conflict between Germany and France. France emerged victorious and, with partner organizations, ceded parts of Morocco to Spain.

• Second Morocco Crisis (1911-1912)

  Germany accused France of violating a treaty regarding the French Congo. Spain and France strengthened their protectorate over Morocco.

Balkan Crises

These crises further heightened tensions:

• First Balkan Crisis (1908-1909)

  Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia from the Ottomans.

• Second Balkan Crisis (1912-1913)

  Strengthened Serbia against the Ottomans. Later, Serbia clashed with Bulgaria over newly independent territories.

Causes of World War I

• Political Causes

  • Pressure of Nationalism (desire for an external conflict to achieve national cohesion).
  • Strengthening alliances (belief that war was inevitable and justified).
  • France's desire to regain Alsace and Lorraine.
  • Italy's irredentist claims on Trentino and Istria.

• Economic Causes

  • Struggle for colonial dominance and control of markets for raw materials and non-European products.
  • Rivalry between Germany, France, and Britain.

• Military Causes

  The existence of military blocs meant any conflict could escalate to global proportions.

The Trigger Event

The assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne in Sarajevo by a Serbian anarchist, in combination with the Serbian police. This was a terrorist act, but also involved a conspiracy with participation from another country, Serbia.

Opposing Alliances

• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (Italy later joined the Entente). Later joined by the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
• Triple Entente: Initially France, Russia, and Great Britain. Later joined by Belgium, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Japan, Italy, and the United States.

Development of the War

1. War of Movement

   After initial German victories, French and British forces launched an Allied counteroffensive at the Marne, forcing the Germans to abandon some conquered territory. The Russian army halted the Austro-Hungarians, forcing Germany to divert troops from the Western Front. This created two main fronts: the Western Front (Northeast France and Belgium) and the Eastern Front (Russia advanced into Russian Poland).

2. Trench Warfare

   Characterized by effective defenses, leading to immobility and total war. The conflict extended as new countries joined: Portugal, Romania, Italy (joining the Entente), and Bulgaria (joining the Central Powers).

3. War of Attrition

   Total war intensified, aiming to wear down the enemy's resilience and cause their depletion.

Final Phase

When it seemed Germany might win, the United States entered the war in favor of the Entente, partly due to the sinking of its merchant ships by German submarines. This provided a significant psychological and material boost to the Allies and hastened the signing of the Armistice.