Napoleon Outline

"The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist was the immediate spark which ignited the First World War by triggering the intricate system of alliance and alignments developed during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, the assassination and diplomacy, though very important, were not the underlying causes of the war. Nationalism, the struggle for colonial empires and economic competition also helped set the stage for the bloodiest war the world had ever known up to that time.”

A. Make sure in your discussion of World War I that you mention the treaties and alliances examining carefully the terms, condition and obligations of each. Was it the treaties and alliances alone that pulled Europe into war? In addition, make sure you look at the rivalries in the Balkans between great powers, Balkans states and great powers and between the Balkan states themselves. Consider also great power rivalries based on colonial expansion, economics, military power etc. as they played out on the world stage. Also consider both Serbian and Panslavic nationalism as well as German nationalism. Consider internal problems in Russia and Austria and how those might have precipitated a willingness on the part of both powers to go to war. Look at the assassination of the Archduke and analyze how that assassination was caused by some of the factors already discussed and how it triggered a series of events, including the activation of the alliances that plunged the world into war. Also be sure to examine why Britain opted to enter the war when it had not obligation to do so. What did each of the great powers hope to gain from a successful war and how did these ambitions reflect the rivalries mentioned above?

I. Introduction
• Trench warfare
• Casualties (Russia: 1.7 million, Britain: .9 million; France 1.4 million; Germany 1.7 million; Austria-Hungary: 1.2 million)
• Background of the war, what the “spark” (assassination of Archduke)
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