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As soon as war broke out in 114, historians began to ask why and how it could possibly have happened. What had gone wrong? As the fighting spread and casualties mounted, the question became more urgent. To this day no one has come up with a definitive explanation. In the following text I will attempt to highlight the principle factors which contributed to the outbreak of the First World War. After studying these causes I shall then decide in my opinion which is the most significant factor.
The First World War broke out against a background of rivalry between the world's greatest powers. These powers were, Britain, Germany, France, Russia and the USA and to a lesser degree, Austria-Hungry, Italy, the Ottoman Empire and Japan. No single power was dominant. The US, for example, had the strongest economy. Britain the most powerful navy, and Germany the most effective army. From 1870 onwards, the powers formed alliances for greater security. The Triple Entente consisted of France, Britain and Russia. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. By 114 the US was the only power not connected to the international web of military agreements. While Germany itself was strong, its allies were not. Austria-Hungary was made up of 11 quarrelling nations including some, such as the Czechs, who wanted independence, while others, the Serbs for instance wanted union with neighbouring states. Germany's other ally, Italy, was extremely unreliable and was desperate not to go to war. Germany was concerned by this fact and so the tension between the empires grew.
Linking with this cause was the long-standing hostility between France and Germany. Germany had become a united country in 1871, when it defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War and took the territory of Alsace-Lorraine. Germany also felt threatened and surrounded by the members of the Triple Entente, with Britain and France to the west, and Russia to the east.
The period from about 1850 to 114 is often called the 'Age of Imperialism', when the great powers used their military and commercial might to seize less developed parts of the world and bring them into their empires. The larger the empire the more prosperity and prestige it brought to the country. It was extremely important, therefore, for an imperialist nation to protect and, if possible, expand its overseas possessions. This invariably led to conflict between rival powers. The British were obviously the superior imperialists. Their empire occupied one quarter of the world's land surface. Many other countries in Europe held colonies all over the world. Before the entente with France (104) and Russia (107), these powers had posed the greatest threat to the British Empire. By 100, however, things were changing. A major reason why Britain settled her differences with France and Russia was that there was a new and aggressive player on the imperial board Germany. During the Boer War in South Africa (18-10) the Germans supported the Boers against the British. The British regarded German imperialism as a direct threat to their own international position. They were further worried when the Germans announced a massive expansion of their navy.
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Following with a link to the above cause, the naval race played a considerable part in the lead up to the outbreak of the First World War. Britain led the naval race. In the 1880's she adopted the Two-Power Standard which said that the Royal Nay should be at least as large as any other two fleets combined. At the time, these were assumed to be France and Russia. When either of them laid down new ships, Britain laid down an equal number. The situation grew more complicated with the emergence of three new powers Japan, USA and Germany. As the Japanese and Americans were friendly powers, their naval expansion caused Britain few worries. On the other hand, the build up of the German navy was more responsible than anything else for a serious deterioration in Anglo-German relations before 114.
Yet another factor was the underlying tension between the Balkan states. Turkey had once ruled the Balkans. Turkey became very weak in the nineteenth century. Slav people living in the Balkans gradually drove out their hated Turkish rulers. New Slav nations Serbia, Rumania and Bulgaria were set up. Austria-Hungary wanted to control the Balkans, as it was afraid that Slavs living in Bosnia and other Balkan states within the Austro-Hungarian Empire would want to break away to join Serbia.
Russia desperately needed to use ports on the Mediterranean Sea. This would make trade easier. Russia also needed to be able to sail its war ships out of the Black Sea in times of trouble and so needed to control the Balkans. Russia felt that she was under obligation to support Serbian ambitions, as a fellow Slav state. She also hoped to use her connections with Serbia to gain influence on the Mediterranean coast.
To top this tension off Germany needed the Balkans to be friendly, as they wanted to run a railway through the Balkans. It was to link Berlin with the capital of Iraq, Baghdad as Germany needed the oil Iraq could provide to fuel its economic growth.
The rivalries and tension between these nations continued to grow and finally exploded following the assassination of the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungry, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife the Duchess who were shot dead by a Serbian nationalist on the 8th June 114 in Sarajevo in the Balkans. This was because there was a dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia about who should rule over the Serbs of Bosnia, the Balkans.
Linking the alliance system to this problem was the fact that Austria-Hungary decided to go to war against Serbia. Because of the system of European alliances, this conflict drew in several other countries. Serbia was allied with Russia. Germany was ready to fight alongside Austria-Hungary. Russia was prepared to go to war in support of Serbia. France and Britain decided to support Russia. Italy remained neutral in 114.
After studying all the contributing causes of the outbreak of the First World War, I have come to the personal conclusion that 'imperialism' was the principle factor. Although the immediate cause of the First World War appeared to be the assassination of the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, this was merely a flash point for a conflict between the major powers, which had become increasingly inevitable.
The alliances forged between the various countries bound them to a course of action, which once triggered, could not be broken. National ambition and the need for supremacy by Germany, Russia, France and Britain determined their actions, when each considered that their vital interests were threatened. Old hatreds and fear fuelled the mistrust between the
opposing countries. War seemed at the time the only solution to resolve this situation and once begun, the remaining allies were drawn in on each side.
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