World War 1 Essay
John Dechert
3-15-14
Per.1
If there is a war to be more fated by time and history, those big masts and sail in the sea, then I can think of no better example, for no better example exists, than the First World War. Indeed, upon the outset of war, fate seemed to rear its most virtuous and peaceful hand, by picking up Gavrilo Princip and putting him directly in the path of the Archduke of Austria and his wife, who he loved so dearly. However, it is unlikely for the hand of fate to spark of the war with the murder of just one man. Instead the hand of fate positioned all the great and mighty, for assuredly they were, European powers into positions for a world war. The primary causes of such a fateful war would have to be,naturally; the growing pride in the military, a growing pride in one’s country, and the need for nations to ally themselves with other nations as to uphold the balance of power.
Firstly, in the years leading up to 1914, and the thrust of war wrought about by Gavrilo Princip, the world and its greatest powers were engaged in a substantial build up of their militaries. Indeed, the national consciousness of each individual country, more so for some than for others, had marched, foot in foot and time in time, with the development of the military. It was,indeed, in this feeling of military consciousness that an arms race was engaged between the great powers to be, especially between the English and the Germans. Assuredly, this Anglo-German build-up had derived itself from other causes as well, namely the anger of the Germans by the lack of overseas colonies (in fact, this contempt of colonies led to one the greatest ironies of the war: the build up of a substantial navy, on both sides, for a war th...
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...ystem; and such a spark was given in the year 1914.
In conclusion, the First World War was a conflict fated by history for primarly three reasons (although a plethoric amount of other reasons exist, assuredly): intense militarism, European Nationalism, and the increasing entanglement of the European alliance system. After 1914, the world was plunged into one of the largest and deadliest wars that ever had the grace to avail itself to the world. Indeed, it was only after about four years of stalemate that the nations and powers to be finally dropped their weapons and discussed peace. Whatever the outcome, it is always, naturally, a pertinent idea to study such a history as the First World War and its causes, as to better relieve ourselves of such a torment in the future. It can be only be our choice if the “war to end all wars,” is truly the war to end all wars.
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many European nations began to increase their military spending. Between 1910 and 1914, “France increased her defence expenditure by 10%, Britain by 13%, Russia by 39%, and Germany was the most militaristic as she increased by 73%” (World). Europe industrialized throughout the eighteenth century, which allowed them to develop and produce large volumes of new and deadly weaponry. Many Europeans also increasingly began to use military strength as a way to prove nationalism, which is why there was such a large increase in military spending during this period. In Germany and the Next Great War, which was written in 1911, Friedrich von Bernhardi stated that the Germany “must secure to German nationality and German spirit throughout the globe that high esteem which is due them” (Bernhardi). Bernhardi was a strong supporter of the German military, as he saw it as a way to assert German nationalism and prove that Germany was a dominant force. He, along with other Germans, thought that increasing the German military would enable Germany to become a powerful nation. Brandon Brown, the author of the textbook Causes of World War I (The Great War), stated that these European nations quickly found a “reason to use their militaries against each other in an attempt to prove who is superior” (Brown). European nations used military power as a way to assert global power throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This resulted in growing tensions throughout Europe, which contributed to World War
All causes of the Great War calling and bickering to be the main cause yet it was the combination of the main causes that made the war even possible; the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand with it’s nationalistic origins, then the alliances that created a larger web of support, and lastly imperialism that had created the passion of revenge, militarism, and nationalism. Though looking back many may not believe that the four years of trench warfare was not the most brilliant war in history, but they do have to agree that the causes are the most important aspects of the war in its entirety. For if people see why terrible events happen then they can prevent the future from new world wars that could’ve been solved without the need of war.
In late July of 1914, the world was plunged into its first total war-World War I (WWI), or the Great War. There were many factors leading up to this, many being economic, political, and social. These were bringing tensions higher and higher until it was almost to the breaking point. Then, bang. Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophia were shot dead in Sarajevo, Bosnia on June 28, 1914. Otto von Bismarck was right when he said, “One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans (goodreads).” Gavrilo Princip was an influential person of the 20th century because of his assassination of Archduke Ferdinand II. This was the catalyst that set off World War I, which indirectly caused the crash of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the formation and destruction of the Weimar Republic, World War II, and the Cold War.
details the causes of the first World war and describes the first month of the war. The book clearly illustrates how a local war became an entire European struggle by a call to war against Russia. Soon after the war became a world issue.
Great War, also known as The First World War, lasted for four year (1914 to 1918). It brought a huge development of war technics and weapons. More number of countries had been involved in the Great War than any previous war. It involved the mobilization of the whole nations, not just an enormous army that turned the war into a “total war”. (Clare 6) However, historians are still arguing about the major cause of the World War I. The major cause will be one of the four long-term causes of WWI, which are Militarism, Alliance, Imperialism, and Nationalism. In my opinion, the two major causes would be Alliance and Nationalism. Alliance is an association between two or more countries for mutual benefits that formed with different treaties, while Nationalism is feeling and principles of patriotic.
Although it’s negligible outcome on war showed its limit in scope and intensity in World War I, it laid the fundamental foundation ...
Professor Geoff Hayes, “4 August 1914: Slithering Over the Brink, The Origins of the Great War,” Lecture delivered 31 October, 2011, HIST 191, University of Waterloo
The Origins of the Second World War, by A.J.P. Taylor, proposes and investigates unconventional and widely unaccepted theories as to the underlying causes of World War Two. Taylor is British historian who specialized in 20th century diplomacy, and in his book claims that as a historian his job is to “state the truth” (pg. xi) as he sees it, even if it means disagreeing with existing prejudices. The book was published in 1961, a relatively short time after the war, and as a result of his extreme unbias the work became subject to controversy for many years.
By December 1914 the First World War had reached a dilemma on the western front that neither the triple entente nor the triple alliance had expected. The war had reached a stalemate, a state where both sides are so evenly balanced that neither can breakthrough against the enemy. The advances in Technology played a big role in creating the stalemate through strong defensive weaponry such as Machine Guns and Artillery, this caused ‘trench warfare’ (BOOK 48). Trench war is when troops from both sides are protected from the enemy’s firepower through trenches. Many advances in technology also attempted to break the stalemate throughout the war with tanks, gas and aircraft, these however failed. Eventually the stalemate was broken through a combination of improved technology, new strategies and the blockading of the German ports.
“War is unorganized murder, and nothing else” (Harry Patch). In World War 1, which was first called the Great War, there were many causes of the war breaking out. The Great War started August 1st 1914 days later after the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia, when they visited Bosnia. Many soldiers went to war for no reason but to fight for their country. The Great War was not only affected by the soldiers, but also by the civilians as well. Women replaced men in factories, offices, and shops while the men were at war so that everything would be working smoothly. The main underlying causes of World War 1 were the alliances and imperialism in Europe.
This statement begins to expose the fear felt by Britain of the imposing German fleet. Due to the militaristic views of Europe, many countries desired to have more power and control, by any means possible. This hunger initiated the Naval Arms Race, in which nations believed as one country increased its naval powers, they too were obliged to increase their armed forces, to maintain a balance of power. The British had dominated the seas and many far off colonies because of their naval fleet, granting them immense power. As the Germans began to propose a new and vast naval fleet, and France and Russia formed a new alliance sparking suspicion in Britain, Germany quickly became a threat to British supremacy. This created a chain reaction of stressed importance upon naval arme...
The shattered hearts of waiting families, not knowing their last embrace would be their final touch, that so roughly the lives of their loved ones would be ripped from them, even for the men that escaped the terror of the first world war their minds were trapped. In 1914 European countries destroyed the peace between nations. With blame and accusations surrounding this atrocity in human history. Causes surrounding the true monster that would lead to the death and forever damaging affects of WWI were blamed, but events such as imperialistic dominance, rise of militarism, and alliances were the true root of the dammage to come from WWI. Of the emphasised events that lead up to WWI, alliances were the biggest factor to the slaughter of 38 million lives.
Europe has seen many wars over its vast and broad history, some of which being quite immense and destructive. One such war would undoubtedly be World War One. A war powered by the brainwashing ways of militarism and the stubborn pride of nationalism. Once engaged in a war a country’s militarism will produce fine soldier ready to drop like dominos on the battlefield, while the nationalism works as fuel providing the naive determination to fight the war. This naïve determination and soldier production is why World War One, like every other war, continued with such persistency. But what started World War One? Was it militarism that trained young men since they were kids to become soldiers, nationalism propelling a nations pride forward or was it neither? While both of those aspects could be potential reasons their still not the main pillars of cause. The true reason’s that made World War One inevitable were the intimidating alliances, avaricious imperialism, and tedious tensions.
There were several long-term events that led to the outbreak of World War One. The most prominent factors include: nationalism, militarism, imperialism, the Balkan and Morocco crises, and the alliance system. Ironically, these things were either started in response to, or upheld because of, one of the other factors. The alliance system was one of the last factors to emerge before the war. Consequentially, the contributions of this system to the beginning of the Great War have to be considered. Although the alliance system was a main cause of the First World War, it arose because of several other factors, and did not cause the war single handedly.
The importance of the alliance system that developed in Europe in the decades before World War I as a cause for it is still an important topic of debate and argument between modern historians. Some argue that the alliance system was a direct cause of the outbreak of war between all major countries in Europe while other historians prefer to state that the alliance configuration we observe before the war started was simply a symptom of the conflicts and disagreements, fears and envies that had been accumulating since the Bismarck system of alliances collapsed, and even before then. This last opinion is becoming more accepted as the one that describes the true importance of the actual alliance system as a cause of the war. In order to determine the importance of the alliance system as a cause for the war we must first explore the origins of these alliances. We will take high-point of the Bismarck system in 1878 as our starting point as the Franco-Prussian war is a key factor for the development of this system.