This set a belligerent mood in Europe as each nation was prepared to fight a war. A German officer once said "in time of peace, prepare for war," and that is exactly what European nations did, eventually leading to the Great War...

The peoples that made up the empire were mainly Austrians, Hungarians, and Slavs. But the Austrians and Hungarians ruled the empire. Many SLavs who lived in the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina wanted to be part of the new nation of Serbia...

a?? Rivalry among the monarchs of Europe had been increasing for years (even though most of them were cousins) a?? Causes of European Rivalries o #1 a?" Imperialism a?? Years of intense competition over colonies o #2 a?" Militarism a?? As competition increased, so did European armies and navies a?? Fiercest was between England and Germany a?' massive naval buildup o #3 a?" Nationalism a?? Germany wanted the same "national greatnessa?? that Britain had achieved a?? Small national groups wanted independence, such as the Serbians a?? France HATED Germany! a?? France lost Alsace Lorraine in 1870-1 and wanted to get it back from Germany o #4 a?" Alliances a?? Europe was divided into two alliance systems a?? Triple alliance a?" Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy a?? Triple Entente a?" England, France and Russia a?? Germany was caught in the middle, that made it vulnerable if it came from war a?? There were even more alliances in 1914 a?? As tensions grew, European nations tried to protect themselves by signing secret alliances a?? All it took was one spark to ignite this "European powder kega?? a?? Serbian nationalists wanted to break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and creation of Serbian State a?? June, 1914 a?" Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassinated by a Serbian nationalist Battles of WWI Why did the stalemate continue? Battle of Verdun a?? Surprise attack on France a?? Massive losses on both sides a?? France overpowered by heavy German artillery a?? STALEMATE! Neither side made and real progress Battle of the Somme a?? Help soldiers at Verdun by forcing Germans to divert some troops a?? Massive losses on both sides a?? German machine guns "mowed downa?? attacking Allies a?? STALEMATE! Little change in territory held Battle of Ypres a?? Terrible battle conditions hurt effectiveness of Allied fighting a?? Heavy military and civilian death toll Germany tries to break the Stalemate! a?? German use of chlorine gas a?? Although Germans used chemical weapons first doesn't mean that they were the only ones experiments a?? This made them seem brutal again The Stalemate is broken at Ypres! a?? American entry into the war turns the tide a?? Offers relief to the exhausted European troops a?? US forces help to halt the German offensive WWI Grinds to a Close (November 11 1918) a?? Europe is exhausted by the war o Soldiers on all sides were frustrated by high death toll and stalemate o French soldiers mutiny a?' officers give in to their demands a?' breakdown of military discipline o Is this any way to fight a war? a?? WWI The Russian Revolution o Morale is especially low among Russian soldiers o Refuse to follow orders o Retreat when told to attack! a?? Conditions in Russia: 1917 o Russian civilians no longer support the war effort o Poverty = increased opposition to government a?? Government Overthrown o Tsar Nicholas forced out of power (abdication) o Entire family is assassinated (so no one will take the throne of this family) o New democratic government formed under Alexander Kerensky o Loses support because he continued Russian participation in unpopular war (WWII) a?? The Russian Revolution o World's first socialist government formed by Vladimir Lenin o No private property! (remember Rouseau!?!?) a?? Treaty of Brest-Litovsk o Russia leaves the war! o Signs a separate treaty with Germany a?? 1918 o US enters the war a?" fresh troops and supplies make a difference o German sailors mutiny = spells the end of German war effort a?" time to surrender a?? Payback! o Even after the German surrender, the Allies are determined to blockade the German coast starvation and famine during the winter

Germany thought that the punishment was too harsh. The masses in Germany were crushed by the problems that they had, especially the Treaty of Versailles, which left Germany in debt...