M.A.I.N.

  Europe of 1914 and Europe of 1933 were two very different places.  In 1914, Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary were all ruled by emperors. By 1933, all of those nations would have different governments and have lost much of their territory.

    Germany was an empire ruled by the Hohenzolleran family.  Kaiser Wilhem II's family had ruled the German kingdom of Prussia since the 1600s, and over time had carved out a German empire by 1871.  Wilhem believed that his kingdom was destined to have the largest empire and most powerful navy in the world.

     The Russian empire stretched across Europe and Asia, the largest nation in the world.  While the largest country, Russia remained one of the poorest, lagging behind other nations in industry and manufacturing.  Russia was ruled by the Romanov family, who had been in power for over 300 years.  Czar Nicholas II would be the last ruler of Romanovs.

     Austria-Hungary was ruled by the Hapsburg family, which had been in power since 1512.   The Hapsburgs were german speaking Austrians that ruled a very diverse empire.  Maygars, Poles, Hungarians, Slavs, Italians,  Albanians, and Croatians were some of the different ethnic groups that lived in the empire.    Each group clamored for their own independent nation.

The heir to the Austrian thrown was assassinated in a remote portion of his kingdom.  The group that was responsible for the murder wanted Austria-Hungary to grant independence to that portion of the kingdom.  Austria blamed its neighbor, Serbia and demanded that Serbia give in to a list of demands.  Serbia refused, and Austria declared war.

In the decades leading up to the war, European nations became involved in militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.  M.A.I.N.   These would be the long term causes of the First World War.

Militarism: the strengthening of a nation's military and the belief that it was the duty of a citizen to fight and die for your nation.  This glorification of of war had many young men join the military to fulfill their duty as a good citizen.  The governments of England, France, and Germany began to increase the size of their armies and navies.  Like little kids with toys, these rulers were looking for an opportunity to use their army.

Alliances: Secret alliances occurred between several nations in Europe.  Austria-Hungary had a "blood bond" with Germany.  A "blank check", that promised unconditional support in a time of war.  Serbia had an alliance with Russia, who viewed the Russian empire as a protective older brother.  France had a secret treaty with Russia to support the Russians if they were ever attacked.  Belgium had support from Britain, that if they were ever attacked then the British would come to their aid. 

Imperialism: empire building.  European nations competed over land in Africa and Asia for colonies that would provide gold, rubber, cotton, tea, and other raw materials.  This led to an increase in tensions as nations grew jealous of other countries' colonies.

Nationalism: the belief that your nation is superior to other nations in the world. The British felt that they were better then the Germans and the French.  The Germans felt that they were superior to other countries, ect...  Imagine if you had a lacrosse team where every athlete felt that they were the best and should be starting.  Nobody would pass the ball, and no plays could be called.  Multiply that tension and you can see how this created a dangerous environment.