World War One Causes

Claire Haley

Period 2

Smith
 

MAIN causes of War

Militarism- The belief that a country should have a strong military, and be prepared to use it aggressively. Creating a strong military gives a higher chance of going to war, people want to see their country thrive and show the world how powerful they are.

Alliances- An agreement or bond made by two countries that create an equal benefit for both. When a country went to war, their alliances had an obligation to help them, therefore involving them in war.

Imperialism- Extending a country's power through diplomacy or military force. Countries were insistent on expanding, and they would do whatever it took, even war.

Nationalism- Patriotic feelings towards one's country or homeland. When a country's pride or reputation is at stake, people react to it in extreme ways to fight for what they think is right.

The spark of the war was when the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was shot and killed by by Bosnian Serb nationalists. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum against Serbia, which was rejected. Austria-Hungary then declared war, marking the outbreak of the war.

Timeline

1915 Lusitania- British ocean liner RMS Lusitania helped transport good between Britain and the United States, and was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk.

1916 Sussex pledge- Promise made during World War I by Germany to the United States. Germany had instituted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, allowing armed merchant ships to be torpedoed without warning.

1917 Zimmerman note- Diplomatic proposal from the German Empire for Mexico to join the Central Powers. The proposal was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence.

1917 Unrestricted submarine warfare- Naval warfare in which submarines sink vessels such as freighters and tankers without warning.

Balfour Declaration

Claire Haley

Source

The Balfour Declaration was one of the most influential documents for the Jewish, Palestine, and the Middle East. It came out at the end of WWI. The Ottoman Empire, which was aligned with Germany and Austria-Hungary, was beaten, and was split up among the victors. There was much debate over who was to be given Palestine. 

The Balfour Declaration was a letter sent from A.J. Balfour, the British Secretary of State to Lord Rothschild, (a highly respected authority figure in the Jewish Community.) In this letter, he declared his support for the creation of a Jewish state in an area of the Middle East called Palestine. This great offer was accepted and appreciated by the Jewish community, and established Great Britain’s support for a Jewish homeland. Other nations that fought for the Allies also offered their support for the declaration. 

However, there was a flaw in this agreement. The same land had been promised to the Palestinian Arabians in return for fighting with the Allies World War One against the Turks who were in alliance with the Germans. Therefore, when Palestine was given to Great Britain to govern as a League of Nation's mandate at the end of the war, It angered both the Arabs and the Jews. Believing that they were given right to the land, floods of Jewish people came to Palestine, thus creating major political conflict with the Arabs. The Balfour declaration broke trust between countries, changed reputations and gave new land to Great Britain.