Causes of WWI 

Directions: Use the information on the following pages to fill in the graphic organizer below.  
Cause of WWI  Definition  How did this cause contribute to the start of World War I? 

What is militarism?   

M 
Militarism 

What is an alliance?   

A 
Alliances 

What is nationalism?   

N 
Nationalism 

What is imperialism?   

I 
Imperialism 

What does   
assassination mean? 

A 
Assassination 

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Militarism 
Militarism is the belief that a country should have a strong military capability and be prepared to use it 
aggressively to defend or promote its interests. Leading up to World War I, imperial countries in Europe 
were strong proponents of militarism. They spent more and more money on military technology, employing 
more troops, and training their soldiers. They found that to gain colonies it helped to be militarily superior to 
the people they colonized and the other industrialized countries they were competing with. As tensions in 
Europe increased leading up to 1914, European countries raised and prepared large armies, navies, and 
airforces to protect their homelands.  

 
German planes used in WWI.  
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlbatDIII.jpg  
 

 
A battleship squadron of the German High Seas Fleet; the far right vessel is a member of the Kaiser class.1917. 
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hochseeflotte_2.jpg 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Alliances 
To increase their own nations’ security, European powers signed treaties with one another forming alliances. 
Alliances are agreements between nations stating that each country will assist the other if they are attacked. 
On the verge of World War I, there were two large alliances. One alliance was called the Triple Entente (French 
for alliance), sometimes called the “Allied Powers” and it consisted of the United Kingdom (Great Britain), 
France, and Russia. In addition, Russia was allied with some Slavic countries in the area of Europe known as 
the Balkans including Serbia. The other was called the Triple Alliance and is sometimes referred to as the 
“Central Powers” these included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. As the war continued, the Ottoman 
Empire joined this group and Italy left this alliance to join the other Triple Entente.   

 
Map of military alliances of Europe in 1914. (English).  
 
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Europe_alliances_1914-en.svg 

 
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Imperialism 
European countries competed with each other all over the 
world in the 1800s and early 1900s. They fought one 
another at sea and used treaty negotiations to claim 
colonies and spheres of influence in Africa and Asia. The 
search for raw materials to fuel industry and markets to buy 
goods in far-flung corners of the world led to increased 
tension in Europe.  
 
Image to the right:  
A French political cartoon from 1898. "China -- the cake of kings and... of 
emperors" (a French pun on king cake and kings and emperors wishing to 
"consume" China). A pastry represents "Chine" (French for China) and is 
being divided between caricatures of Queen Victoria of the United 
Kingdom, William II of Germany (who is squabbling with Queen Victoria 
over a borderland piece, while thrusting a knife into the pie to signify 
aggressive German intentions), Nicholas II of Russia, who is eyeing a 
particular piece, the French Marianne (who is diplomatically shown as not 
participating in the carving, and is depicted as close to Nicholas II, as a 
reminder of the Franco-Russian Alliance), and a samurai representing 
Japan, carefully contemplating which pieces to take. A stereotypical Qing 
official throws up his hands to try and stop them, but is powerless. It is 
meant to be a figurative representation of the Imperialist tendencies of 
these nations towards China during the 1890s.   
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_imperialism_cartoon.jpg 

Colonial Holdings in 1914 

 
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Colonisation2.gif  

4 
Nationalism 
In the 1700s and 1800s, nationalism brought 
revolution and unification to Europe. Groups of 
people with common languages, histories, and 
cultures like the Italians and Germans fought to 
create their own countries out of older empires. 
Leading up to the World War I, people in Europe 
started to define themselves based on their nation 
and in opposition to others. Pride in one’s country 
was at an all time high. Some ethnic groups that 
wanted to unify but were a part of the few empires 
left in Europe, like the Austrian Hungarian Empire 
and the Ottoman Empire, created tension by 
declaring their desire to rule themselves.   

 
British poster encouraging young men to enlist in 
the army to defend their country.  
Source: Fairchild Memorial Gallery, Lauinger Library, Georgetown University. NYS Global History 
Regents Exam.  

 
German soldiers being cheered in Lubeck during their advance to the front lines in 1914 during World War I. The concept of 
the "Spirit of 1914"by Johann Plenge identified the outbreak of war as forging national solidarity of Germans.  
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IR_L%C3%BCbeck_033_-_EB.jpg  

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