Origins of the war - First World War overview

The declaration of war on Germany on 4 August 1914 by King George V confirmed the outbreak of what was known at the time as the Great War. It is now more often referred to as the First World War or World War One.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, on 28 June 1914 is seen as a defining moment in the outbreak of war. This event was the culmination of a number of historical forces and processes that had been simmering in Europe for many years.

Some factors behind the outbreak of war

Nationalism

The Prussian-led unification of Germany in the latter half of the 19th century had been partially achieved through the war with France (1870–71). A new large German state in the middle of Europe altered the dynamics of European politics and left France angry and desperate for revenge.

Further east in the Balkans, the Austro-Hungarian Empire faced problems with conflicting national groups that threatened Austrian control. In particular, Serbia wanted to unite all Slavs in the region under its control, and it was supported in this aim by Russia. Austria's opposition to Serbian demands was backed by Germany.

Imperialism

Great Britain, Germany and France were rivals in the economic exploitation of Africa. Several incidents involving Germany in Africa aroused the suspicions of Britain and France, who resolved their differences in the region in an attempt to protect what they had. They were concerned that Germany was challenging the established colonial order.

In the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman (Turkish) Empire added to tensions between Austria-Hungary, Russia and Serbia.

The European alliances

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 Germany tried to isolate France. In 1872 the Germans formed an alliance with Russia and Austria-Hungary, but their rivalry over the Balkans meant this alliance was hard to maintain. By 1891 France had secured its own alliance with Russia.

As a general rule Britain tried to keep out of Europe and concentrated on its vast Empire. Some of the actions and policies of the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, challenged this stance. Wilhelm angered Britain when he formally congratulated the South African Boers for defeating the British in 1896. His investment in Germany's navy was seen as a direct challenge to Britannia's claim to rule the waves.

Britain responded by forming diplomatic arrangements with France and its ally Russia. In 1907 these powers established an informal coalition called the Triple Entente.

Planning for war

The standing armies of France and Germany doubled in size between 1870 and 1914. Great Britain had a policy of maintaining a navy 2½ times as large as any rival. Germany's naval expansion sparked a naval arms race.

A major European war had been narrowly avoided in 1908. Austria-Hungary annexed the former Turkish province of Bosnia, thwarting Serbia in the process. In response, Serbia began to mobilise (with the support of Russia). When Germany threatened war in defence of its Austrian ally, Russia and Serbia backed down.

These tensions prompted many nations to make precise plans for military mobilisation. For Germany, any plan had to consider the possibility of a war on two fronts, so the scheme therefore involved crushing one rival quickly. Mobilisation plans were difficult if not impossible to reverse once they were begun. This was illustrated by Germany's von Schlieffen Plan, which was developed in 1905. It was based on the need to defeat France quickly before Russia had time to react. To achieve this, France would be attacked via Belgium so as to avoid French border defences. Belgium posed no serious military threat to this plan, but its neutrality had been guaranteed by Britain in 1839. Germany felt that ultimately Britain would not risk war to save Belgium.

Death in Sarajevo

The Serbian government was aware of a plot to kill Franz Ferdinand in May 1914. There was evidence that high-ranking Serbian military figures were involved, and those selected to kill the archduke were almost certainly armed by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, the chief of intelligence in the Serbian army.

The Serbian ambassador in Vienna gave vague warnings about a possible assassination attempt. It was suggested that the archduke cancel his proposed visit in June, but he insisted on going. In Sarajevo he and his wife narrowly escaped one attempt on their lives on the morning of 28 June, and they continued with their official business that afternoon. But their motorcade took a wrong turn and stopped within metres of one of the selected assassins, Gavrilo Princip. Unlike his colleagues that morning, Princip did not fail.

Germany gave Austria a blank cheque to take any action deemed appropriate. Austria-Hungary issued Serbia with a harsh ultimatum that effectively revoked the latter's national sovereignty. Although Serbia consented to almost every point in the ultimatum, Austria-Hungary exploited disagreements on a number of minor points to declare war on 28 July 1914.

Like falling dominoes

The next day Russia ordered a partial mobilisation against Austria-Hungary. Germany responded by threatening Russia with war if it did not stop mobilising. France reacted to the prospect of a Russo-German War by mobilising its own forces. Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August and on France two days later. When the von Schlieffen Plan was activated, the invasion of Belgium prompted Britain to declare war on Germany on 4 August. The First World War had begun.

Across the other side of the world the last domino fell. News of the declaration of war by King George V was received in Wellington at 1 p.m. on 5 August 1914. The governor, Lord Liverpool, announced the news from the steps of Parliament to a crowd of 15,000. New Zealanders regarded themselves as British and Britain as home, so there was little hesitation in supporting Britain in its moment of crisis.

New Zealand's emotional response to the outbreak of war was a reflection of its close ties with Great Britain. Germany's invasion of Belgium, a small country like New Zealand, struck a chord with many New Zealanders. The strongly militarist atmosphere of the time contributed to the general zeal with which most New Zealanders entered the war.