Setting The Stage
World War 1 could have not began if the people of Europe had not unintentionaly taken up polocies that purposely created reason fordiscontent and fueled conflict between Europes main powers. The long term causes that caused World War 1 though were clearly Nationalism, Militarism, Alliance, and Imperialism.
NationalismNapoleonic conquest in Europe left territories under the control of Europe's main powers with a certain sence of nationalism that together came with Self determination that sought to bring people with the same language ethnic origins and political ideals together. This encouraged them to become independent, which caused nationalistic movements to strive for the independance of Belgians on 1830, Italy on1861, and unify Germany 1871. To make matteers worse there were occasions whene larger powers helped to chip away at each other such as the case when Russia promoted Pan-Slavism ( a movement that centered intrest in the ethnic and cultural kinship of the many slavic peoples around Europe) creating support of Serbias effort towards independence. Another case would be that of in which Germany supported Austri-Hungary.
|
MilitarismTensions also arose between Germany and Brittain which caused them to strenghthen theyre military. Rivalries between the two caused by economic supremassy strained relations between the two whene Germany rapidly industrialized leaving Brittain far closer to providing the world with about the same amount of exports as Germany straining relations between the two. This was followed by the sudden desire to compete between for the security of aquatic trade routes and merchant shipping which caused Germany to create a fleet of battleships and later a flotilla of Dreadnoughts in response to Brittains creation of Dreadnoughts (super battleships).
|
AlliancesThe posible most dangerous long term cause of World War 1 though are the alliances that aroused from the small conflicts that caused long lasting hostilities between countries. These were set up to keep the peace and for the selfpreservation of each country with a critical downside. Because a main detail of these alliances was to come to each others aid, a small international conflict could escalate rapidly into a global war which also outlined
|
ImperialismThe desire for economic opportunity also pushed toward World War 1 whene, in a hurry to colonize and exploit dependance European powers colonized lands that intertwined with each other causing them to clash in disputes over land ownership. Brittain and Russia fought over Iran and Afganistan, while Brittan also held its own against France in Thialand and the Nile Valley. Although almost all of Europes large powers engaged in the race to colonize the world rivalries between Germany vs. France and Brittain ran the deepest which almost caused a war by themselves because of a clash between French ad German Troops in Moroco in 1905.
|
Short Term Causes of World War 1
Tension is rising my dear Hungary for as of 2 days ago on June 28th of 1914, our dear Franz Ferdinand has perished at the hands of Gabrilo Prinzi, a Serbian Nationalist. He was killed along with his wifeo secure that to break off Austria-Hungary's south-Slav provinces so they could be combined into a Greater Servia or Yugoslavia ad were later to be discovered to work for a Nationalist movement known as Young Bosnia. It is a sad day for Hungary history but this trail of sorrow does not stop here. Europe has been enveloped in a blanket of chaos as more and more disputes have arisen and occured all over the East.