![]() For instance, after Germany dominated France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, France lost money and land to Germany, which then fueled French nationalism and a desire for revenge. ![]() ![]() This widespread nationalism is thought to be a general cause of World War I. In some cases, however, imperialism fed nationalism as some groups claimed superiority over others. As people took more pride in country and culture, their desire to rid themselves of imperial rule increased. The rise of nationalism undermined diplomacy.ĭuring the 19th century, rising nationalism swept through Europe. As countries vied for position, tensions rose, and they formed alliances to position themselves for European dominance. With the British Empire extending to five continents and France controlling many the African colonies, Germany wanted a larger slice of the territorial pie. New industrial and manufacturing technologies created the need to dominate new territories and their natural resources, including oil, rubber, coal, iron and other raw materials. Limited industrial resources fueled imperialist expansion.Ī state’s desire to expand its empire was nothing new in European history, but by the early 20th century the Industrial Revolution was in full force. Within days, Germany declared war on Russia-Serbia’s ally-and invaded France via Belgium, which then caused Britain to declare war on Germany. ![]() Austria-Hungary was furious and, with Germany’s support, declared war on Serbia on July 28. Their luck ran out later that day, however, when their driver inadvertently drove them past 19-year-old Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip who shot and killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife at point-blank range. Even worse, the harsh terms imposed on Germany, the war’s biggest loser, led to widespread resentment of the treaty and its authors in that country–a resentment that would culminate in the outbreak of the Second World War two decades later.įranz Ferdinand, archduke of Austria, and his wife Sophie riding in an open carriage at Sarajevo shortly before their assassination. President Woodrow Wilson’s grand dreams of an international peace-keeping organization faltered when put into practice as the League of Nations. The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919, tragically failed to achieve this objective. At the peace conference in Paris in 1919, Allied leaders would state their desire to build a post-war world that was safe from future wars of such enormous scale. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the fragile peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed, beginning the devastating conflict now known as the First World War.Īfter more than four years of bloodshed, the Great War ended on November 11, 1918, after Germany, the last of the Central Powers, surrendered to the Allies. As large and powerful Russia supported Serbia, Austria asked for assurances that Germany would step in on its side against Russia and its allies, including France and possibly Great Britain. The assassination set off a rapid chain of events, as Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government for the attack. A group of young nationalists hatched a plot to kill the archduke during his visit to Sarajevo, and after some missteps, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip was able to shoot the royal couple at point-blank range, while they traveled in their official procession, killing both almost instantly. The annexation had angered Serbian nationalists, who believed the territories should be part of Serbia. The archduke traveled to Sarajevo in June 1914 to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908. READ MORE: Did Franz Ferdinand’s Assassination Cause World War I? Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, five years to the day after Franz Ferdinand’s death, Germany and the Allied Powers signed the Treaty of Versailles, officially marking the end of World War I.
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