Three Main Causes of World War I
While we are always reminded of the negative effects of war, it is not everyday that we learn to understand the deeper factors of war that can turn a small conflict into an international outbreak. World War I was said to have been sparked by the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand but there are various deeper reasons that contributed to the commencement of the Great War. These factors include militarism, imperialism and the alliance systems.
The first reason for the eruption of World War I was militarism. Militarism is the act of building up armies for threats against other countries – taking over new territory – and protection from other countries who decide to invade. In the 1900’s, the two strongest countries – Germany and Britain – decided to create a Naval Race. While Germany had a stronger ‘ground’ army, Britain had better naval protection with Dreadknought class ships. Because of this advantage, Germany decided to outdo Britain and build their own Dreadknought class battleships. As both countries tried to build more battleships than the other, tensions rose and tempers flared. When Germany and Britain finally stopped building their battleships, they had nothing to do but wait. Neither country wanted to be responsible for purposely starting a conflict between the countries, but both wanted to prove their strength and power through war. When a Serbian assassinated the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Germany and Britain were finally able to show off their marvelous defense at the expense of millions of innocent people. It is clear that militarism exposed the worst qualities of the German and British Empires, which set the stage for one of the worst wars to ever be experienced by humankind.
Another cause of the Great War was widespread imperialism. While imperialism was not uncommon at the turn of the century, it was not until after, that it created enormous problems for European countries and beyond. Countries such as Britain and Germany discovered that having several different countries under control of their Empire, provided boundless economic opportunities; they had unlimited access to raw materials and manufactured goods and received enormous profits for exportations. It was not simply the act of being faithful to one’s Empire that caused the war; it was the concepts of security, strength, the prosperity of the...
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...iance and declared war on Austria-Hungary after a short period spent neutral. Alliances created tension between Empires and secrets instilled distrust; only one incident was needed for an all out war to erupt. Thanks to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, war broke out between two counties, creating a chain reaction of war. Alliances can benefit countries if the fear of empowerment is so great that neither opposing sides will risk war, but if the desire to create havoc is so great that it is worth the risk, then alliances can become a deadly weapon. It is clear that the alliance systems played an enormous role in causing the onset of the First World War.
In conclusion, World War I, as unnecessary as it was, arose from three deeper factors, other than the assassination of the Archduke. The ever expanding militarism, widespread imperialism and the alliance systems all played vital roles in determining the dawn of the First World War. While the Great War demonstrated flaws in the government system and provided future generations with the ability to learn, understand and prevent mistakes, the outcome of such a conflict is never important because there are no real winners in war.
Sister Claire Evelyn Trestrail was the eldest of five being born on the 10th of December, 1877 in Clare, South Australia. Trestrail served in the First World War as a nurse following in her mother’s footsteps who was a trained nurse, Acting Matron of King Edward Hospital in Perth and also had involvement within the Red Cross and the Saint John’s Ambulance Services. Trestrail’s younger siblings also had involvement within the First World War with her two younger brothers; John Henry and Amarald Glen, serving in the royal Flying Corps and respectively, 1 Machine Battalion. Amarald was also presented with a Military Medal for Gallantry at Villaret. Sister Ella also served as a nurse, got married, but tragically returned as an amputee. It was only her youngest sister Amy who did not serve during the war.
It’s impossible to argue that the effects of World War One were devastating for all parties involved. Unfortunately the reason for the wars inception is not as transparent as its resulting destruction. This “Popular Amnesia regarding World War One” has been attempted to be unraveled by historians for decades resulting in multiple theories and explanations. The European imperial expansion that took place in the late 19th century and the tensions it created has been credited by many historians as a cause for World War One .This essay will examine the role that imperialism played in the lead up to the war, as well as the alliances that were formed as a result of the rivalries between European states.
Great War, also known as The First World War, lasted for four year (1914 to 1918). It brought a huge development of war technics and weapons. More number of countries had been involved in the Great War than any previous war. It involved the mobilization of the whole nations, not just an enormous army that turned the war into a “total war”. (Clare 6) However, historians are still arguing about the major cause of the World War I. The major cause will be one of the four long-term causes of WWI, which are Militarism, Alliance, Imperialism, and Nationalism. In my opinion, the two major causes would be Alliance and Nationalism. Alliance is an association between two or more countries for mutual benefits that formed with different treaties, while Nationalism is feeling and principles of patriotic.
Imperialism was one of the things that played a major role in World War I. Imperialism is basically when one country tries to take over another country in various ways. Germany was attempting to control lands in Africa, which was a place that Britain and France had already established. (Brown, B. (2009, April 23). Causes of world war I (great war). Imperialism takes a lot of time to develop in terms of establishing the dominance needed to secure another nation or country. Therefore, imperialism is seen as a long-term cause WWI. (Brown, B. (2009, April 23). Causes of world war I (great war). By gaining land through imperialism, they had the idea that the country that gained the land would also gain valuable resources like the people and money. (Nationalism, imperialism, and militarism in world war I. (n.d.).
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Austrian Archduke, is often cited as the direct cause of WWI. While it was a significant catalyst to the war, the circumstances surrounding WWI were actually more complicated. The first great world war was caused by a variety of factors including: tensions between countries due to a threatening system of alliances, stockpiling of weaponry, and nationalism.
War is what keeps a nation from dying, it is the backbone of a country. This is the shown throughout the course of World War I, also known as “the war to end all wars.” World War I started in the summer of 1914. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, from the Austro – Hungarian Empire was visiting Bosnia. He was shot, along with his wife, Sofia, by a young man from the Black Hand, Gavrillo Princip. What were the three main factors that started World War I? There were three main underlying causes that started World War I: greed, nationalism, and militarism.
Imperialism was a competitive force that inevitably led to crises among rival nations. Due to severe opposition and competition as well as discontent in colonized regions, imperialism can be considered a major factor leading to World War I. Nationalism has long been a cause of disunity throughout European nations. Nationalism in Germany was especially prominent. With powerful military forces and an industrial outlook, Germany thrived. A sense of national unity was dispersed throughout the empire and gave Germany the assurance it needed to expand.
“War is unorganized murder, and nothing else” (Harry Patch). In World War 1, which was first called the Great War, there were many causes of the war breaking out. The Great War started August 1st 1914 days later after the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia, when they visited Bosnia. Many soldiers went to war for no reason but to fight for their country. The Great War was not only affected by the soldiers, but also by the civilians as well. Women replaced men in factories, offices, and shops while the men were at war so that everything would be working smoothly. The main underlying causes of World War 1 were the alliances and imperialism in Europe.
Wars are good business. They create an immediate demand for a wide variety of materials needed by the government in order to fight the war. They create work opportunities for people that might not ordinarily be considered part of the normal work force. And, while not necessarily good for the soldiers engaged in the fighting, wars are always good for the businesses that provide the materials used in a war. The Second World War was very good for business.
Militarism was also an underlying cause of World War I. As the alliance system divided Europe into opposing groups, each nation began to increase spending on its military. This set a belligerent mood in Europe as each nation was prepared to fight a war. A German officer once said "in time of peace, prepare for war," and that is exactly what European nations did, eventually leading to the Great War.
It may seem like wars start abruptly, with little cause, but usually there is a bigger story. New policies, lack of equality, military influence, and too much government involvement usually stir up the peace initially. These turn the country or area into a ‘powder keg’, ready to explode into war at the smallest spark. Although the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand was the spark of World War I, policies at the time like nationalism and militarism were the underlying causes of the war.
World War 1 World War 1 was called “The Great War”, “The war to end all wars”, and “The first modern war”. It has many causes and a few repercussions and I will describe them in detail. The most widely known reason for the start of World War 1 was the assassination of the Arch Duke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in the Serbian capital of Sarajevo. The ArchDuke was there to talk to the Serbian leaders about peace on the Balkan Peninsula. After a Serbian was arrested for the assassination, Austria-Hungary pulled out of the peace talks and declared war on Serbia.
Alliances played a hefty role in the inevitability of World War One. Countries were constantly at each other’s necks and needed power in order to protect themselves from each other. This is where alliances came in; countries could seek shelter from others by developing truces with close friends. Having a truce was beneficial in most ways because it provided the illusion of being a bigger power, and offered one extra support in case of a crippling event. Then again they did also create tensions between the countries that could only escalate further. For example, in the year 1879 there was a dual alliance created between Germany and Austria-Hungry. This alliance was created to protect them from Russia, who ...
There were several long-term events that led to the outbreak of World War One. The most prominent factors include: nationalism, militarism, imperialism, the Balkan and Morocco crises, and the alliance system. Ironically, these things were either started in response to, or upheld because of, one of the other factors. The alliance system was one of the last factors to emerge before the war. Consequentially, the contributions of this system to the beginning of the Great War have to be considered. Although the alliance system was a main cause of the First World War, it arose because of several other factors, and did not cause the war single handedly.
There were long term causes that contributed to the war and were the origins. This answer will explain the causes, focusing on how they contributed to World War One and what the important links are between them. The Alliances not only contributed to war breaking out; it made the war last longer and become on a much larger scale; major political disputes would inevitably cause a large conflict. The alliances caused suspicion, fear, and tension among nations. The two camps were the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary).