WWI Causes

M.A.I.N.

Militarism - the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.

Alliances - a union or association formed for mutual benefit, esp. between countries or organizations.

Imperialism - a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Nationalism -  a desire by a large group of people (such as people who share the same culture, history, language, etc.) to form a separate and independent nation of their own.

1) Militarism: It is the preparation for war. At the time, Britain had the most powerful navy and Germany was trying to expand theirs. This established strong navies and prepared them for war.

2) Alliances: It is the formal agreement of support among countries in the event of an attack. This caused WWI because the conflict originally involved between two countries were likely to involve many more countries due to the alliance. Germany was an ally of Austria Hungary, if they were at war, then Germany would be automatically at war.

3) Imperialism: The building of power by controlling over colonies. Countries were arguing over colonies and this caused them to war. Every country wanted to expand their power.

4) Nationalism: It is a deep loyalty to one's nation. Gavrilo Princip from Serbia was the person who triggered WWI by killing Archuduke from Austria-Hungary, because he Austria-Hungary controlled Serbia at the time. This is an example of nationalism because he was showing loyalty to his own country.

The spark that started World War I was the assassination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. His death triggered Austria's declaration of war against Serbia.

RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner, holder of the Blue Riband and briefly the world's biggest ship. She was launched by the Cunard Line in 1907, at a time of fierce competition for the North Atlantic trade. In 1915 she was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat, causing the deaths of 1,198 passengers and crew.

The Sussex Pledge was a promise made in 1916 during World War I by Germany to the United States prior to the latter's entry into the war.


Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink vessels such as freighters and tankers without warning, as opposed to attacks per prize rules. This had a huge impact on  WWI and was announced by Germany on January 9th, 1917.

The Zimmermann Note was a 1917 diplomatic proposal from the German Empire for Mexico to join the Central Powers, in the event of the United States entering World War I on the side of the Entente Powers.