AP World History AMSCO Guided Notes
7.2: Causes of World War I
AP World History Guided Notes
AMSCO 7.2 - Causes of World War I
Essential Questions
- What were the causes and consequences of World War I?
I. Immediate Causes of the Great War
1. What was the immediate trigger for World War I and who was responsible?
2. How did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand lead to declarations of war across Europe?
II. Long-Term Causes of the Great War
A. Militarism
1. What is militarism and how did European powers use it to demonstrate their strength?
2. How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to militarism in Europe?
B. Alliances
1. What were secret alliances and how did they commit nations to defend one another?
2. What were the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance, and which nations belonged to each?
3. How did the alliance system transform a regional conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary into a continental war?
C. Imperialism
1. How did competition for overseas colonies create tensions among European powers?
2. What role did the scramble for African colonies play in the rivalries that led to World War I?
D. Nationalism
1. What is nationalism and how did it motivate groups like Serbian nationalists?
2. What is self-determination and why did ethnic groups in multinational empires seek it?
3. How did nationalist movements in the Balkans and Ottoman Empire contribute to the outbreak of war?
III. Consequences of the Great War
1. What four monarchies fell as a result of World War I?
2. How did World War I redraw the maps of Europe and the Middle East?
3. What were the major social and political consequences of World War I for Europe and the world?
4. How did the Treaty of Versailles treat Germany and what were the long-term effects of these terms?
Key Terms
Great War
Gavrilo Princip
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Triple Entente
Allies
Triple Alliance
Central Powers
Black Hand
militarism
secret alliances
self-determination