The Guilt is in the Alliances

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Recommended: Contribution of the alliance system to world war 1

The allied victors pursued innocence in the Great War by regarding Germany as the sole party responsible for the horrific devastation of Europe following the war. Despite the significant effect Germany played in the initiation and development of the war, all countries are subject to bear the guilt of the First World War. The alliance system proved crucial in the development of the Austro-Serbian affair into a world war in its entirety. The indisputable initiation of the outbreak of war arose from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand, a Serbian affiliated guerilla assassins’ group. In result, the alliance system, which enveloped Europe, established the detrimental domino effect leading to the outcome of world war. The assassination and initial war of Austria and Serbia became overshadowed by their allies, and in this, World War I was catalyzed. The responsibility of the Great War falls on the alliance system, which irrefutably presents all involved parties with relatively equal responsibility for the outbreak and destruction of Europe, instead of one nation, Germany, bearing most guilt.
The alliances held nations to a standard; by forming an alliance and receiving the benefits associated with the friendship, there was a promise of permanent support. The triple alliance, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, promised military support should a foreign conflict pursue. Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Wilhelm II issued a “Blank Cheque” ((Berghan, Imperial Germany 1871-1914(1994)) in order to remain a faithful ally to a vital Austria-Hungary. This meant that Germany would provide Austria with full support. The “Blank Cheque” and suggestions provided by Germany ...

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...tionalistic and imperialistic intentions of the European nations, bears the most fault of the First World War. The tensions agitated by Serbia, ignited the fuse that brought about European destruction from the progression of alliances; thus rendering all nations subject to equal responsibilities associated with the war. The Versailles Treaty of 1919 established Germany as the scapegoat for the miscalculations and hostility of all European nations involved. No country was innocent; however, in an attempt to relieve the guilt and responsibility of the horrific Great War, the victors provided justification for their equally guilty actions through the indictment of Germany as being the most responsible culprit. Furthermore, it was the forged alliances of all nations involved that mostly compelled a local conflict in the Balkans to develop into a full-fledged world war.

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