Militarism Caused WWII

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Militarism

On Sunday June 28, 1914, a member of the terrorist group The Black Hand, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Many historians say that this event was the cause of World War I. There is also a theory that the assassination of the Archduke was only a trigger and that the war itself was caused by numerous other historical events and developments including imperialism, militarism, and alliances. Militarism was the leading factor in the outbreak of war. Militarism is the philosophy that a country’s significance is shown through its military might. Such a violent ideal promotes a unnecessarily strong military force and an aggressive demeanor while negotiating national interests. Without it the World War I would not happen on such a grand scale, if it would have happened at all.

Militarism has always been present in countries around the world, but it had never become such a major force until the new Kaiser of Germany, William II, rose to power. He grew up as a cadet in Potsdam and it was there that he acquired a fondness for military pomp. While receiving his education, instead of insight and wisdom, it filled him with bigoted and absurdly romantic notions of war (Schulezed et al 69). Although Bismark, the previous prime minister, dismissed the new youthful Kaiser, he was forced out of power, marking the turning point of when German militarism moved to a forefront and became the ideal of the nation, and all rational calculations were put on the back burner (Schulezed et al 70).

When Germany began to build its army, there was no going back. The Social Democratic Party, the main political party at the time, was unsuccessful in opposing naval growth because military provided the working class with tens of thousands o...

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...l in times of peace. He argued that military elites had too much power in European countries and World War I was a consequence of their desire for the military power and disdain of democracy. He supported the removal of rulers such as Wilhelm II, an end to aristocracy, and militarism in any shape or form. Unfortunately his ideas were implemented only after the world suffered through the second World War when history had repeated itself without anyone learning their lesson.

Bibliography

“Naval Rivalry.” Europe. 3rd ed. 5 vols. Beresford, Charles W., Volker R. Berghahn, Herwig H. Holger, Lambert A. Nicholas, Arthur J. Marder, Jon T. Sumida, and Lawrence Sondhaus. Farmington Hills: Tomson Gale, 2006

Schulze, Hagen. German - A New History. Massachusette: Harvard University Press, 1998.

Stratachn, Hew. The First World War. New York: Penguin Group, 2004

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