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George Christian

George Christian
English II Pre-AP
Period 4
10/24/18

Idea Book- The cause of World War One.

What caused World War One

The first great war shook civilization as a whole. Not only had prior conflicts been a

problem of national sovereignty, but an altercation of this size was unfathomable for the time.

Although the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the final trigger of World War

One, many underlying factors ultimately cause the first great war. Mainly imperialism,

nationalism, militarism, and world alliances.

Imperialism was one of the major influences of the cause of World War One. The idea of

an empires greatness often comes from how much land they control. The British and French

empires colonized most of Africa, leaving countries such as Germany with less than ideal

amounts of land. Jealousy arose, and stigma about the capabilities of each nation. With a bigger

empire comes a larger military presence. In turn, this caused major friction between their

respective empires.

In addition, alliances were founded in order to protect against these possible threats. Two

major alliances were formed prior to the first great war. Firstly, came The Triple Entente,

consisting of Britain, Russia, and France. Secondly, came The Triple Alliance, consisting of
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Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Any local dispute suddenly had the chance of becoming a

national one. Tensions were on the rise and opposing countries were on the defensive. Germany

and Austria-Hungary were pushing for a world at war. The implementation of the alliances

brought certain pacts, which would mean multiple countries must partake in a conflict. Alliances

stood to increase tension and the likelihood of a war.

Considered to be the most formidable in causing WW1 was, militarism. Years recent

before the war, military spending greatly increased. With countries competing for the best

military, rivalries began. For example, a naval arms race between Britain and Germany worsened

the relationship between the countries. Britain and France began collaborating on building a

navy. The armies of both France and Germany more than doubled between 1870, and 1914.

Militarism caused distrust and furthered Europe to the brink of war.

The final cause of World War One was nationalism. The idea of Weltpolitik was very

popular in Germany. This entailed the desire for the status of world power. The French wanted

revenge for Alsace and Lorraine, and in Britain Imperialism support for their empire was

conspicuous. In these countries, there was little resistance to war. Each country was eager to

prove that they were the world power. Many plans were put in place due to this nationalism.

Most notably, The Schlieffen Plan. This plan was a famous German war plan, which relied on

conquering France, then quickly transferring troops to Russia. This plan was famous because it

almost worked. Other plans were France’s Plan XVII, Russia’s Plan G, and finally

Austria-Hungary Plans R and B.

In conclusion, what started World War One is highly controversial. Many different

causes triggered the war, however, it is widely accepted that the assassination of Archduke Franz
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Ferdinand tipped Europe into war. Overall, nationalism, world alliances, militarism, and

imperialism were the main benefactors in causing the first great war.