World War 1 Balance Of Power Essay

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World War I was one of the greatest wars known to history because of the immense impact felt throughout the world. The balance of powers and World War I can be seen as one of the most known pairings of a historical event and of political ideas. A balance of ideas can arguably be tied to this and the role it played among countries and their foreign policies involving a cause of war and a condition of peace. While it’s impossible to detail every aspect of the balance of powers and the balances of ideas in this paper to help in understanding World War I, the focus of a few pivotal factors can give an understanding of the occasion for war. Ultimately, the origins, the course, and the outcome of the war can be conveyed through the balance of power …show more content…

Imperialism, nationalism, alliances, and militarism were four of the main causes that drove Europe to war. The one I want to focus on is the use of alliances. There were many events that led to the disruption of the balance of powers and ideas before the war. For example, with Wilhelm II taking the German throne in 1888, German foreign policy became more hostile and belligerent. As he took the throne, he discharged the experienced Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor. Along with this, he also kept France isolated and declined the renewal of the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. This treaty was in place to preserve the already frail peace between Russia and Austria-Hungary. This was really what helped create an alliance between France and Russia in 1892 and this became the basis for the future Triple Entente. An alliance is used to bring peace and stability but instead was one of the long-term causes of the war. These mutual defense agreements were made to say that if one country was attacked, allied countries were bound to defend them. Because of these agreed upon assistances of each other, any small conflict had

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