1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,680 What caused the devastating First World War? 2 00:00:05,860 --> 00:00:09,900 You may be aware of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 3 00:00:10,420 --> 00:00:16,720 This was, in fact, the trigger which set off the war from a number of underlying causes. 4 00:00:17,740 --> 00:00:24,740 These were: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. 5 00:00:25,900 --> 00:00:31,580 Militarism created an arms race out of competition and fear of neighboring nations. 6 00:00:32,259 --> 00:00:38,000 Germany tried to compete in a naval race with Britain, building more and more ships. 7 00:00:39,140 --> 00:00:43,640 Alliances were created to check the balance of power between nations. 8 00:00:44,660 --> 00:00:51,180 in 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance. 9 00:00:51,940 --> 00:00:59,040 France, Britain, and Russia reacted in 1907 by creating the Triple Entente. 10 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,540 Imperialism caused another type of competition and disagreement. 11 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:11,440 The British and French empires made Germany jealous as it tried to colonize parts of Africa. 12 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:21,660 Nationalism created the feeling that countries were better than others, and promoted the anti-Austro-Hungarian sentiments in Serbia. 13 00:01:25,140 --> 00:01:31,240 Seven young Bosnian Serbs, who were part of the nationalist Black Hand, 14 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:37,080 planned to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. 15 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:43,720 Get your copy of Simple History: World War I, available on Amazon now.