The Causes of World War One

World fight cardinal was the result of a series of accidental and garb adopt events. Does this opinion adequately let off the flummoxs of World War One? It is comprehendible that historiographers ponder on what exactly ca utilize a struggle that destroyed europiums economy, cost the lives of 37 million man causality and involved a solid ground from either region of the instauration (from the Americas to Asia). The opinion this evidence will discuss implies that the events that lead to this major(ip) conflict were fortuitous and disconnected and in rate to emit a intellect that would agree or disagree with this run across it is im carriageant to starting line identify the agents of realism fight whizz.Therefore this essay will first discuss the different types of causes ( longsighted, mid and unaw bes verges), respectively patriotism, imperialism/militarism and the blank cheque. and so this essay will evaluate whether these were disconnected and unintend ed events or if there is a connection between the causes. The main sources used in this essay are Coles common nones on arena history and historiographer Martin gigabytes book authorise First World War. The long term causes inclined(p) the ground for the war. nationalism trick be categorized into the long term causes because it had influenced Europe prior to 1914, and as cut writer Guy de Maupassant argues, it is the eldest cause of any war. Quite a habitual phenomenon in the late nineteenth deoxycytidine monophosphate and beginning of the 20th, nationalism produced insolence in ones countrys givements. The world war one themes paper sight that this led to xenophobia and ideas of racial superiority but what it fails to mention is that as oft as nationalism could propose smells of superiority it could alike provide feelings of equality.For example, minorities that antecedently were henpecked by larger agents were forthwith swept with waves of nationalism. This co uld be observed in the Balkans in the prelude of the world war where sm altogether states were experimenting Pan-Slavism, a nationalistic travail for political and cultural solidity of all Slavic people olibanum a threat to the Austrian Empire who dominated the South Slavs.One could argue that this form of nationalism led to Franz Ferdinands assassination by an extreme Serb nationalist group, or that it was the Austrians nationalism (their pride in their achievement of an empire) that pressured them into keeping all minorities at heart the empire at all be this leading to the Austro-Hungarian impossible ultimatum to Serbia on the twenty-third of July 1914.Nationalist mood in Europe could besides be feeln in France more than 30 years subsequentlyward the French were disappointed in the Franco-Prussian war a forbidding cloth still veiled the statue of Strasbourg in the Place de la Concorde and it was a symbol, a constant reminder of the loss of the twain eastern provinces, Alsace and Lorraine. The French still remembered the foiling and often spoke of La Revanche (the revenge).As historian Gilbert argues, War, if it came, would be an irresistible fortune to fulfil long harboured desires or to penalize long-nurtured hatreds. Historian Martin Kelly also argues that it was nationalism, that manifested itself in the pan-Slav feeling of the Russian population, that tied Russia and Serbia together whilst Austria tell war, and thereby triggering what would beat been a circumscribed local conflict into world war.When the Russian tsar signed the order commanding replete(p) mobilisation of Russian troops because Russia could not remain incorporeal to a declaration of war on Serbia and as the ultimate proof of the elating topics of Nationalism, editor Alex Bein remembered that the Russian popular sentiment applauded the fullest possible solidarity with the beleaguered fellow Slavs of Serbia. In this particular case it is difficult to pick up whether these events occurred under the Nationalism potential cause or the Alliances.Without dropping into philosophical or anthropological arguments, this essay will accept that bond papers themselves were generated because of nationalism, as countries really wanted to step-up their power by allying themselves with other powers, which in the end is motivated by a nationalist feeling. It is often observed in general history that events some generation provided occur because they are in a specific scene. Mid-term causes, if it the events that occurred slightly prior to the number one of the war (between 1970 and 1914) can be label so, could be held responsible for creating a context specific to that time.In this case, militarism and imperialism greatly rolld the dealings between the powers and consequently the political shape of pre-war Europe. Imperialism was a symbol of power that allowed the European powers to expand their oversea territories and therefore actualize new markets, raw materials and fields of investment. The movement of the Scramble for Africa left or so of the African untainted occupied by Europeans, notably colonies of Britain, France, Portugal, Spain and Belgium Germany did have some abroad territories, but as historian Gilbert remarks The Kaiser did not make ffective use of its colonies, and own them by name quite an than by practice. This observation shows that the Kaiser attached a symbolic importance to colonies. The ambitious German king wished that his recently united Germany (the German unification had only occurred in 1971, not even half a century before the war) would possess more overseas territories. Unfortunately most of the African continent was al launch occupied leaving the Kaiser with a bitter feeling of rivalry with Britain and France.This led to the dangerous Agadir crisis, in which the Kaiser had ordered a fleet to establish a port at Agadir, on the Atlantic rim of Morocco. The British headacheed this would give t he Germans an undesired punishing grip in Northern Africa, and thus threatened them to respond in a hostile manner if the German gunboat did not depart immediately. The threat was effective, but the cheekiness which left it was equally strong, say Gilbert. At the Reichstag, a few weeks after the event, a social democrat commented in a worried tone that tensions could lead to a war, to which a parliamentarian responded After ever soy war things are better The imperialistic tendencies of Europeans unavoidably led to tensions within Europe itself, generating vernacular suspicions and fear. This could explain why the European powers felt the need to invest in the war machine in the 1870s, all half a dozen major European powers had adopted exacting military training, which resulted in some 4 ? million men under coat of arms by 1914. Each powers General army staffs had well-drawn battle plans in readiness the French had Plan 17, the Germans had Schlieffen plan and Russians had P lan A. By the beginning of the conflict a follow amount of $2 billion a year was spent on troops (all powers combined).It can only be logically concluded that if the powers were investing so much time and money in military they were intending to use it. Finally, it was the short term causes led to critical events that escalated into the war. A general historic view observes that it all began when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, on the 28th of June 2014. The Italian orthogonal minister at the time observed that The telegram indicated that the assassination of the Archduke was the occasion rather than the cause of Austrias ultimatum to Serbia, and it reveals the reason for Austrias action invading Serbia.This view can also be supported by the circumstance that between 1906 and 1914 the Austrian Chief of provide General Hotzendorf had asked more than 25 times for a surprise war on Serbia. The Austro-Hungarians wanted to reduce Serbias power by attacking her. When the y were provided with an excuse to do so (Ferdinands assassination) They were not to the full confident to attack immediately for fear of Russian retaliation, argues Gilbert but the fact that they had stark(prenominal) German support if ever the conflict widened gave them confidence.It is argued that the Germans had given their full support because the Austro-Hungarians were their most precious allies, and they could not afford losing the cooperation of the other central power when they were encircled by the Triple entente (Russia, Britain and France). Therefore, to some extent, it can be argued that it is this unconditional support that pushed Austria to declare war on Serbia, without considering the Russian factor. The main issue with identifying causes of the world war is that there are some(prenominal) and none that can be granted full prominence because opinions vary.It is also difficult to establish a cause and effect relationship, because there is no precision and again, i t is subjective. This considered, a link can still be noticed in the causes enumerated above Nationalism made European powers want to achieve more for them, leading to prestigious and overpriced colonization. Unfortunately these imperialist tendencies created conflicts between the powers, creating mutual suspicions and alliances. The tensions gave the powers a feeling of insecurity, and led sort to intense militarisation which meant that the powers could be ready in a matter of weeks in the event of a war.The Germans were so prepared for a war they could afford self-aggrandising their unconditional support to Austria, who then attacked Serbia, and triggered the alliance system. It is a way to explain how the causes are linked but it is not inevitably pertinent in the sense that these events could have been simply events they only became causes because of the war. For example, if we use contrary to fact history and assume that Austria would have never attacked Serbia, perhaps th e war would have low-down out over Britain and Germany fighting for an gravel to the Suez Canal, which at that time would have been likely.Perhaps the war would have never happened if the Europeans did not see war as an acceptable system to solve conflicts as the German parliamentarian had pointed out, after a war all things are better and the view that most historians look at that actually the war had long been in the making. As the American diachronic review states, There was no slue to war, no war caused by unintended events, but instead a world war caused by a dread(a) set of elite statesmen and rulers making look at choices.Word count 1 712Bibliography & course cited A. J. P. 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