Alliances Lead a Great War

The Road to War

Austrian officials held Serbia responsible for Archduke Francis Ferdinand’s death in a terrorist attack in 1914. They hoped to rally the citizens of their fading empire by going to war against the much smaller Serbia, believing a victory would remind their ethnic minorities of the empire’s strength and let other ethnic groups know that terrorism would be punished.

Austria-Hungary Declares War

Wars are expensive, but they can also help an economy. Workers throughout Austria-Hungary went to work in factories, creating weapons. Others toiled to feed and clothe the soldiers. What Austria-Hungary did not count on was fighting two nations.

Russia Enters the Conflict

Russia shared strong ethnic and religious ties with Serbia and the other Slavic nations in the Balkan Mountains. The Russians viewed themselves as protectors of the Slavic peoples of the region. Russia was displeased with Austria-Hungary’s seizure of Sarajevo and did not want Austria-Hungary to expand into the Balkans. So Russia agreed to join Serbia if Austria-Hungary attacked.

Alliances and Escalation

Austria-Hungary had a military alliance with Germany. An alliance is an agreement to act together. When Austria-Hungary declared war in July 1914, Germany joined the fight against Serbia.

The people of France hoped to relive the glory days of Napoleon, a period when France briefly controlled most of Europe. The French were eager to reclaim Alsace-Lorraine, territory lost to Germany in the Franco-Prussian War 44 years earlier. France allied with Russia, so the French prepared to join the conflict.

The Great War Begins

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in July 1914, a month after Franz Ferdinand’s murder. Russia, Germany, and France joined the conflict within a week. Belgium hoped to remain out of the war, but when German soldiers marched across their border to reach France, the Belgians called on an alliance with Great Britain to help resist the Germans. Like a snowball rolling downhill, European alliances entangled most of the continent into what became known as “the Great War.”