One Thing Eventually Leads to Another: Long term Causes
The causes of World War I included a plethora of factors. On top of bitter feuds, conflicts and hostility from the past four decades, long term causes of militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism also constributed to the outbreak of the war.
Militarism
Militarism is the predominance of the military class or its ideals, the exaltation of military virtues and ideals, or the policy of aggressive military preparedness. It denoted a rise in military expenditure, an increase in military and naval forces and more influences on military men and the policies of the civilian government.
Military Rivalry
There was a strong race between countries in terms of military technology. After 1871, the war atmosphere engendered by the secret alliances led to an armaments race among the powers. The race was particularly serious between 1900 and 1914, as the international situation became much worse than before. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Britain, France and Russia all increased their war expenditure which enabled all the powers to raise more armies and improve their battleships. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914 and there was fierce competition between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas.
Naval Rivalry: Britain vs. Germany
The Germans and the British (Britons) convinced themselves that naval power was imperative to secure trade routes and protect merchant shipping. They also saw powerful navies as a means of controlling the seas in times of war. Thus, when Germany's political and iltary leaders announced ther program to build a fleet with many large battleships, they seemed to undermine British naval supremacy. The British government, detemined to match the Germans, and quickly produced of their own superior battleships known as dreadnoughts. They set a new standard in naval armaments and rendered all previous battleships obsolete. This brought a new determination from the Germans to retain naval superiority and encouraged them to build their own flotilla of dreadnoughts. This expensive naval race contributed further to interntional tensions and hostilities between nations.
Effects
This sudden increase in military and naval rivalry led not only to the eventual war but also increased the cooperation among the military staff of the countries of the same camp. As a result of the competition, all powers were armed and prepared for war by 1914.
Military Rivalry
There was a strong race between countries in terms of military technology. After 1871, the war atmosphere engendered by the secret alliances led to an armaments race among the powers. The race was particularly serious between 1900 and 1914, as the international situation became much worse than before. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Britain, France and Russia all increased their war expenditure which enabled all the powers to raise more armies and improve their battleships. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914 and there was fierce competition between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas.
Naval Rivalry: Britain vs. Germany
The Germans and the British (Britons) convinced themselves that naval power was imperative to secure trade routes and protect merchant shipping. They also saw powerful navies as a means of controlling the seas in times of war. Thus, when Germany's political and iltary leaders announced ther program to build a fleet with many large battleships, they seemed to undermine British naval supremacy. The British government, detemined to match the Germans, and quickly produced of their own superior battleships known as dreadnoughts. They set a new standard in naval armaments and rendered all previous battleships obsolete. This brought a new determination from the Germans to retain naval superiority and encouraged them to build their own flotilla of dreadnoughts. This expensive naval race contributed further to interntional tensions and hostilities between nations.
Effects
This sudden increase in military and naval rivalry led not only to the eventual war but also increased the cooperation among the military staff of the countries of the same camp. As a result of the competition, all powers were armed and prepared for war by 1914.
Alliances
Escalating national rivalries and nationalist aspirations of subject minorities spawned a system of entangling alliances. Each nation viewed its fulfillment of treaty obligations as a crucial to self preservation, and typically outlined the circumstances under which countries would go to war to support one another. A number of alliances had been signed by countries between the years 1879 and 1914. These were important because this meant that some countries had no option but to declare war if one of their allies declared war first. Rival alliance systems created a framework whereby even the slightest of international controversy would set off global war.
By 1914 Europe's major powers seperated into two hostile groups: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.
The Triple Alliance
Also known as The Central Powers, the Triple Alliance consisted of a close relationship between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy during the last three decades of the nineteenth century. It was formed to counter the power of Russia and France. The Germans entered the Dual Alliance (a defensive pact that ensured protection from a Russian attack and neutrality in case of any other attack from any other power) for fear of hostile France. Viewing the pact as a free pass in pursuing Balkan politics without fear of Russian intervention, Austria joined as well. The Italians, who were also weary of the French , joined the Dual Alliance in 1882, making it the Triple Alliance. However, due to the rivalry between Italy and Austria-Hungary, as well as the Italian policy of aggrandizement at the expense of the Ottoman Empire and Italy's declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire, the Triple Alliance became strained as a result of the German government's attempts to cultivated friendly relations with the Turks.
The Triple Entente
The Triple Entente originated in a series of agreements between Britain and France in 1904 and between Britain and Russia 1907 that aimed to resolve colonial disputes. With the French government who was highly suspicious of the Central Powers good intentions, their own determination to halt Germany's might, the Russian's disturbance of Germany's sudden support of Austria, and the British leaders who were traditionally suspicious of any nation that seemed to threaten the balance of power, Britain, France and Russa's cooperation led to an unlikely pact in 1914, later also known as The Allies.
By 1914 Europe's major powers seperated into two hostile groups: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.
The Triple Alliance
Also known as The Central Powers, the Triple Alliance consisted of a close relationship between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy during the last three decades of the nineteenth century. It was formed to counter the power of Russia and France. The Germans entered the Dual Alliance (a defensive pact that ensured protection from a Russian attack and neutrality in case of any other attack from any other power) for fear of hostile France. Viewing the pact as a free pass in pursuing Balkan politics without fear of Russian intervention, Austria joined as well. The Italians, who were also weary of the French , joined the Dual Alliance in 1882, making it the Triple Alliance. However, due to the rivalry between Italy and Austria-Hungary, as well as the Italian policy of aggrandizement at the expense of the Ottoman Empire and Italy's declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire, the Triple Alliance became strained as a result of the German government's attempts to cultivated friendly relations with the Turks.
The Triple Entente
The Triple Entente originated in a series of agreements between Britain and France in 1904 and between Britain and Russia 1907 that aimed to resolve colonial disputes. With the French government who was highly suspicious of the Central Powers good intentions, their own determination to halt Germany's might, the Russian's disturbance of Germany's sudden support of Austria, and the British leaders who were traditionally suspicious of any nation that seemed to threaten the balance of power, Britain, France and Russa's cooperation led to an unlikely pact in 1914, later also known as The Allies.
Imperialism
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One of the main causes of the First World War was imperialism: an unequal relationship, often in the form of an empire, forced on other countries and peoples, resulting in domination and subordination of economics, culture, and territory. Historians disagree on whether the primary impetus for imperialism was cultural or economic, but whatever the reason, Europeans in the late 19th century increasingly chose to safeguard their access to markets, raw materials, and returns on their investments by seizing outright political and military control of the undeveloped world.
- Between the 1850s and 1911, all of Africa was colonized except Liberia and Ethiopia
- India was under direct rule by the British in 1858 and occupied Egypt in 1882, possibly to protect Indian interests
- The French had finished missionary work in Indochina and took over the region in 1887
- In 1897 Europeans began staking out "Spheres of Influence" on China
- The Dutch expanded their Old Company holding to include modern day Indonesia
- In 1911 Italy conquered Libya from the Ottoman Empire
- Russia completed the Trans-Siberian Railroad, establishing itself as a major Pacific power
- Only Japan maintained its independence
Although Germany successfully established colonies in the Pacific Southwest (most notably in the Solomon, Marshall, and Caroline Islands), Kaiser Wilhelm’s interest in the Philippines had been dashed by United States acquisition of the archipelago in 1898, and German interests in the Western Hemisphere was stymied by President Theodore Roosevelt’s diplomatic skill over the crisis in Venezuela in 1902, and by his subsequent corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904.
By 1914 the net result of imperialism was a world in which the Western powers had established themselves competitively on every continent.
- Between the 1850s and 1911, all of Africa was colonized except Liberia and Ethiopia
- India was under direct rule by the British in 1858 and occupied Egypt in 1882, possibly to protect Indian interests
- The French had finished missionary work in Indochina and took over the region in 1887
- In 1897 Europeans began staking out "Spheres of Influence" on China
- The Dutch expanded their Old Company holding to include modern day Indonesia
- In 1911 Italy conquered Libya from the Ottoman Empire
- Russia completed the Trans-Siberian Railroad, establishing itself as a major Pacific power
- Only Japan maintained its independence
Although Germany successfully established colonies in the Pacific Southwest (most notably in the Solomon, Marshall, and Caroline Islands), Kaiser Wilhelm’s interest in the Philippines had been dashed by United States acquisition of the archipelago in 1898, and German interests in the Western Hemisphere was stymied by President Theodore Roosevelt’s diplomatic skill over the crisis in Venezuela in 1902, and by his subsequent corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904.
By 1914 the net result of imperialism was a world in which the Western powers had established themselves competitively on every continent.
Nationalism
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The movement that had the most influence in Europe in 1914, including over the workers, was Nationalism--emotional loyalty to the state. The idea of popular sovereignty, that the people should be sovereign, easily led to the notion that sovereignty should be supported by the citizenry with extreme enthusiasm. The outbreak of World War I had very complex causes. On the one hand, it was closely tied to the nationalist activities of the day, which, together with the "balance of power" policy devised at the Congress of Vienna and Otto von Bismarck's diplomatic policies, led to the formation of military blocks that made the confrontation between Austria and Serbia not a regional, but a world-wide warfare.
All other causes you have read so far are mostly a result of nationalism. Nationalism makes people become proud of their country, or increases their pride, and in doing this in the years leading up to WWI, added to militarism and imperialism. Countries built up their armies, added more weapons for more power, to show that they were better or deserved respect from the other countries. Countries raced to Africa for raw materials and thought they (als against other countries) should take over an area. By itself nationalism helped encourage countries to break away from other countries or from the empires that it was under (such as Serbia wishing to be its own country and not part of the Austria-Hungary Empire) and form their own countries. Though some of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria Hungary but instead be part of Serbia. In this way, nationalism led directly to the War. But in a more general way, the nationalism of the various countries throughout Europe contributed not only to the beginning but the extension of the war in Europe. Each country tried to prove their dominance and power.
All other causes you have read so far are mostly a result of nationalism. Nationalism makes people become proud of their country, or increases their pride, and in doing this in the years leading up to WWI, added to militarism and imperialism. Countries built up their armies, added more weapons for more power, to show that they were better or deserved respect from the other countries. Countries raced to Africa for raw materials and thought they (als against other countries) should take over an area. By itself nationalism helped encourage countries to break away from other countries or from the empires that it was under (such as Serbia wishing to be its own country and not part of the Austria-Hungary Empire) and form their own countries. Though some of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria Hungary but instead be part of Serbia. In this way, nationalism led directly to the War. But in a more general way, the nationalism of the various countries throughout Europe contributed not only to the beginning but the extension of the war in Europe. Each country tried to prove their dominance and power.
The Immediate Impact: Short Term Cause
The immediate cause of World War I that made all the aforementioned items come into play (alliances, imperialism, militarism, nationalism) was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. The shot's fired from Gavrilo Princip's revolver on June 28, 1914 triggered the first greatest war in human history. *Read the following newspaper article to learn more.
A Chain Reaction Has Been Set Off:
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Here is a video to give you a quick summary of what you have read so far.
*This is not an actual newspaper article it has been written by a student who was not present at the times these events occurred. NOT AN ACTUAL PRIMARY SOURCE