Causes and Consequences of World War I
World War was caused by various factors, most of which were deep-rooted in the history of old European powers like Germany, Russia, Britain, Italy, France, Austria, and Hungary. In the years preceding the war, European countries were constantly making alliances and struggling for power. The alliances were agreements among the nations to protect each other in case they were attacked by their opponents. The alliances made the nations more powerful and some countries like Germany felt threatened. By 1914, there was tension and intense mistrust among the nations due to the secret alliances and internal politics (Keegan, 46). Such tension and mistrust could easily trigger war among the European powers.
Imperialism and the desire to accumulate more power and grow empires also contributed to the war. Some countries like Britain and France had expanded their influence and power across the world to form large empires (Hynes, 59). The two powers had accumulated a lot of wealth through imperialism by using their superiority to acquire raw materials and resources from their colonies. Other countries like Germany and Russia wanted to establish their own empires too. For that reason, all the European powers were competing to get more colonies and resources. The competition led to more conflict between themselves and among many countries across the world.
Lack of international laws to keep aggression and violence among countries in check was also a contributing factor towards World War I. During the time of the war, there were no international laws to restrain one country from using aggression and violence against another (Joll & Gordon, 115). There were also no rules to protect weaker nations against imperialism and colonization. The institutions that were mandated to promote international peace were ineffective and dysfunctional and they had little influence on the international community. Therefore, nations used this gap to promote imperialism and instigate violence between themselves.
Consequences of World War I
World War I caused many devastating effects in the economic, political, and social sectors. The war caused the downfall of some European monarchies like Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. World War I also led to the end of imperialism and colonization. Many countries become more nationalistic and several nations started colonial rebellion in Africa, Middle East, and Southern Asia. The war also led to death of many people; more than sixteen million civilians and military persons died during the war (Keegan, 34). The gross loss of life led to change in social life. While the men were fighting, the women had to run businesses and labor laws began to be implemented because of mechanization and mass production.
The war led to destruction of property, and many resources were used during the war. The economy was destabilized and many European countries were left in deep debt. The United States, thus, became the major world creditor and the top industrial power. The economical imbalance led to great financial crisis and inflation escalated in most countries. The war also led to formation of international institutions such as the League of Nations to promote world peace and security. World War I also led to introduction of planned economy to help recover from post-war economic decline. For instance, the Germany government controlled food production, armaments, banks, and foreign trade during the war.
Works Cited
Hynes, Samuel. A war imagined: the First World War and English culture. Random House, 2011.
Joll, James, and Gordon Martel. The origins of the first world war. Routledge, 2013.
Keegan, John. The first world war. Random House, 2014.