The Roads to World War I: Crash Course European History #32

Much has been written about what exactly caused World War I. As befits a true global war, the reality is that there isn't a single cause. There aren't even three causes. There are a vast array of causes. Today we'll get into just a few of those causes, including the complex system of alliances in Europe, the myriad military conflicts that played out in the years and decades leading up to the war, and the event that many point to as the beginning: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Sources
-Hunt, Lynn. Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2019.
-Smith, Bonnie G. Europe in the Contemporary World Since 1900. 2nd ed. London; Bloomsbury, 2020.

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[zynnfindo]

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” - Samuel Clemons (Mark Twain)

[pavarottiaardvark]

In just seven years from 1911-18, the following monarchies were ended:

The Romanvovs
The Hohenzollern
The Ottomans
The Qing Dynasty
The Hapsburgs

If you had told people in 1910 that this would happen, you would have seemed INSANE.

[fclp]

"It wasn't only the driver who made a wrong turn." I love that line

[myrwinbrena]

When John said that peace is a historical exception, I was expecting the Mongol montage to play hahhaha!

[malavisengupta]

"Assassination was an occupational hazard in leadership in these decades"
*sweats in modern South Asia*

[Irisceresjuno]

"But rather than taking advice from experts in his government, [insert leader] used another strategy: He avidly followed press coverage of himself and his regime, using that as a monitor of successful policy. He had tantrums and even months of nervous collapse when he was criticized in the press and elsewhere, creating an atmosphere of turmoil in [insert country] policy through erratic militarism."

[ClutchPwnageTv]

I appreciate how the dynamics in the Balkans was handled. It is complex, and hotly debated even among scholars today. It was a wise choice not to try to unpack it too deeply. That would take an entire series in itself, and that still wouldn't be enough.

[thedailybellringer]

Crash Course animations really keep students' attention. Love how they are formatted!

[grapeshot]

I appreciate you talked about the massacres in Southwest Africa. That history is rarely touched on.

[stefanr]

Slamming the Military Industrial Complex? That gets a like from me

[alexfido]

42 seconds into the video, and I want to say that in History class, both in Year 9 and my A-levels, I wrote in essays that there are discrete causes to the First World War. However, in both cases I learned that its not discrete causes, there are many many things that piled on top of each other, from potentially the previous 50 years of european history that compiled and lead to war. Yes, there are more immediate and stronger causes than others, but nonetheless, you can't just trim it down to 5 factors. Yet, I wouldn't hold it against schools teaching this method, as long as they also teach the appreciation of why.

[JL-tius]

Appreciate the South African and Namibian history mentioned this episode.

[robtoe]

"I'll remind you I've had 3 years of high school French - it was based on military cooperation and even shared military plans."
What a strange curriculum...

[bennymacaroni]

The ending line of these videos always gets me.

[coldepenguen]

"very little in history, is inevitable."

[HenningGu]

5:54 3 years of high school French based on the military.

Not bad

[REDstar]

To be fair to Franz Ferdinand: His views on the whole empire thing varied from time to time. And while it's true he was a staunch conservative, and racist (as most of them where back in the days, believing the slavs where just a little bit more "uncivilzed" than the rest of Europeans) at some point he even contemplated the creation of the United States of Greater Austria, federalizing the different nationalities of Austria-Hungary, so the different peoples (there where dozends of different ethicities living in the empire) would have better cultural representation, instead of being solely ruled by Asutrians and Hungarians.
Last but not least, he can be seen as the best friend, the Serbs had in the Austrian goverment, since he stood steadfast against a war with Serbia (often clashing with hawk and hardliner Conrad von Hötzendorf, chief of staff of the Austrian army). So yes, Princip killed the one guy who was against meddling with the Balkans and with him out of the picture, the road to war was free.

[SvrWxArchive]

I liked the video. But I wish there was a discussion or at least mentioning of the various Diplomatic crisies that sowed distrust between the opposing alliance blocs. Events like the Moroccan Crisies of 1905 and 1911 and the Bosnian Annexation Crisis of 1908 (which albeit was mentioned but in passing reference) or the First and Second Balkan Wars and how they almost led to war with Austria-Hungary and Russia.

[weezin]

Crash Course media is one of the most important educational media genre in the last Century. Keep up the great work. I tested out of 4 college classes, learned more than I ever thought possible. Boiler up! :p

[nycstamps]

Finally got John talking about the Balkans! I’ve waited so long for this day haha