What Caused WWI, and Who was to Blame?

Read pages 12 through 16 in Mastering Modern World History. Summarize / Bulletpoint the suggested causes of the war, which are discussed in A - H.

What Caused World War I, and Who Was to Blame?

A: Alliance System
-Started with 1984 alliance with France and Russia
-This started suspicions among the other European countries, which lead to alliances where the countries could not get themselves out of and war seemed to be the only option.

-There was nothing binding about these alliances, for example:
-When Russia was at war with Japan, France did not help.
-Also France didn't support Russia when they protested the Austrian annexation of Bosnia.
-Austria was not support to Germany when they tried to prevent France from taking over Morocco.
-Also, Italy, although it was part of the triple alliance, it wasn't against France or Britain, and in 1915 entered the war against Germany.


B: Colonial Rivalry
-Germany not happy with imperial gains, always settled without war though


C: Naval Race
-Germany wanted to have a bigger and better navy to oppose the best in the world- Britain
-At first Germany's naval growth didn't worry Britain because they were still way ahead
-Britain made the Dreadnought, which made other battleships obsolete
-Germany makes Dreadnought class ships
-Britain worried that Germany is preparing for war against them
-According to Winston Churchill, this was not a source of tension because he was so confident that they would not be defeated.


D: Economic Rivalry
-Theory that Germany businessmen and capitalists wanted war with Britain because they owned half the worlds tonnage of merchant ships in 1914
-But Germany was already heading towards economic victory


E: Russia Supported Serbia
-Serbia was more reckless towards Austria, knowing that Russia had their back
-Russia was the first to mobilize their troops, which provoked Germany to mobilize theirs
-Russia worried about Balkans: Bulgaria and Turkey under German influence.
-Russia worried about Germany and Austria controlling Dardanelles strait-Russia's main trade route
-When Austria declared war on Serbia, Russia had to back the slavs.


F: Germany Backing Austria at Crucial
-In 1914, the Kaiser authorized Austria to attack Serbia and promised to back them without any condition attached
-Germany felt encircled and felt like the other countries were closing in on them


G: Mobilization Plans
-Germany "Schlieffen Plan"
-Failed

H: A "Tragedy of Miscalculation"
-Austrians thought Russia would not support Serbia
-Germany's mistake of supporting Austria with no conditions attached
-Russia and Germany's thoughts of mobilization not necessarily leading to war
-Generals sticking to their plans and thinking they would bring a quick victory