Lead-up to WWI

* An unsteady balance

- French and Germans hate each other

- Austria Hungary was weak and disunited

-> a tempting target and unstable local bully

- secret "defensive" alliances create trip wires

-> Triple Alliance = Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

-> Triple Entente = Great Britain, France, Russia

-> any war between any of the powers is programmed to suck the others in

- Serbia wants to grow, unify Serbs

- the imperial race was also uneven

-> England and France building enormous world empires

-> Germany was especially jealous, worried about falling further and further behind

* Militarism and the modern arms race

- new inventions constantly yielding new weapons

-> dazzling possibilities of military superiority tempt generals

- a naval arms race between Germany and England raised stakes

-> Germany seeing navy as first step to empire

- railroads and transport improvements make sudden war a likelihood

-> need for constant state of mobilization

- threats thus build a need for larger, more ready military apparatus

- alliance trip wires also add to need to readiness