What Caused World War I?

What Caused World War I?

11th Grade · Social Studies · 60 min

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Learning Objective

I can identify the major causes of World War I.

  • 1

    The four MAIN underlying causes that created the conditions for World War I were militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.

  • 2

    Due to the Naval Defense Act, Great Britain adopted the Two Power Standard in 1889, which meant their navy had to be as powerful as the next two powers combined.

  • 3

    The unification of Germany upset the balance of power in Europe, leading to the formation of the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria, and Italy, and the Triple Entente between France, Britain, and Russia.