Can you describe examples from nations that were building their militaries in Europe prior to WWI, that caused tension? Be sure you are providing examples of ‘specific’ examples to show alliances leading up to WWI. What countries were involved? What were the alliances? Nationalism Explain why this example resulted in tensions. Where did they expand their empires? Provide a specific example of imperialism involving European countries in the years before the war, that caused tension, or was a factor in WWI. Explain why it was a factor. Assassination - Who was assassinated? Why would this assassination spark WWI to begin?

Question

Can you describe examples from nations that were building their militaries in Europe prior to WWI, that caused tension? Be sure you are providing examples of ‘specific’ examples to show alliances leading up to WWI. What countries were involved? What were the alliances? Nationalism Explain why this example resulted in tensions. Where did they expand their empires? Provide a specific example of imperialism involving European countries in the years before the war, that caused tension, or was a factor in WWI. Explain why it was a factor. Assassination - Who was assassinated? Why would this assassination spark WWI to begin?

Answer 1

One specific example of alliances leading up to WWI that caused tensions was the formation of the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. The Triple Entente included France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, while the Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. These alliances were formed to provide mutual defense and support among these nations.

Nationalism played a significant role in causing tensions before WWI. For instance, Serbia, a country in the Balkans, had aspirations to create a Greater Serbia, which included territories inhabited by ethnic Serbs in Austria-Hungary. This irked Austria-Hungary, as it feared the potential disintegration of its multi-ethnic empire due to nationalism. This tension eventually led to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in June 1914.

The expansion of empires was another factor that added to the tensions in Europe. One example of imperialism involving European countries before WWI was the scramble for Africa, during which various European nations sought to establish colonial control over African territories. The most significant instance was the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, where European powers divided Africa among themselves without the consultation or consent of African peoples. This resulted in intense rivalries between European powers, especially Germany, France, and Britain, as they competed for territorial acquisitions and resources in Africa.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip was the event that sparked WWI. The assassination provided Austria-Hungary with a pretext to issue Serbia an ultimatum, involving sovereignty demands that Serbia found difficult to accept. When Serbia did not fully comply, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which then escalated into a global conflict as various alliances came into play. Additionally, the assassination highlighted the growing tensions between nationalist movements and the existing imperial powers, amplifying the existing strains in Europe and ultimately leading to the outbreak of WWI.