Three Events That Contributed to the Outbreak of World War I

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World War I began in the summer of 1914, and while it was expected to be short the war lasted four years (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). The war caused economies to crumble paired with a tragic amount of casualties totaling 37.5 million (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). Countries had to find ways to pay for the war a long time after it was over, which meant higher taxes, inflation, and loans (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). The outbreak of World War I was caused by a collection of events and policies, the following paragraphs will discuss how imperialism, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and alliances contributed to the outbreak of World War I.
Imperialism is the conquering and taking of land leading to an expansion of power, and while this is a concept that dates back to ancient civilization Europe would start the new imperialism (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). The industrial revolution would fuel new imperialism as countries would compete for territories in Africa and Asia that could supply the raw materials needed to for their economies and markets (Kelly). Not one European state would be able to conquer Africa or Asia without impacting the interest of a rival causing conflict (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). Transportation and communication developed during the industrial revolution would also change imperialism, now countries could move much quicker helping to gain control of other territories that were less powerful than them (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). The motives for each power that sought to expand their territory and gain nonindustrial regions can vary, but the main purpose was to expand empires not just in nonindustrial regions but all over the world (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien).
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...d Asia in search of raw materials. The industrial revolution was not the only factor of European imperialism, in my opinion and understanding of the reading greed and the need to have more power would also play a role. Just as many battles and wars can be connected to greed and power struggles so can one of the many reasons for the start of World War I.

Works Cited

“Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated.” 2014. The History Channel website. May 4 2014, 2:30 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-franz-ferdinand-assassinated.
Kelly, Martin. "Causes of World War 1 | Top Causes That Led to World War I." About.com American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2014..
Kishlansky, Mark, Patrick Geary, and Patricia O"Brien. Civilization in the West. 7th ed. U.S.A: Pearson, 2008. Print

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