Causes of the First World War
The history of the World cannot be complete without the mention of the World Wars. The First World War for example put the world’s peace at test. Several causes have been put across to have triggered the events leading to the First World War. Many people have laid the blame on ideological policy differences for war. However, the leading cause for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (Ullman, 2018). The war started in 1914 and ended in 1918 and was fought mainly by the two parties, triple alliance, and the triple entente. In addition to the assassination of the Archduke, several other factors triggered the events leading to the war.
Russia was at the verge of becoming a superpower at that time although it was facing the challenge of industrial unrest. Russia had grown its army so much to the extent that the workforce in the army exceeded the guns and machinery available. Also, Russia boasted one of the most massive naval and air-force troops in the world. Such an active military was not taken lightly by other powers who decided to grow their armies and were tempted to put their armies into a test.
The European powers were always in a race to prove their might in terms of warfare. Although more Europeans lived in fear of an outbreak of war due to the evident unrest, the governments were keen to prove the impact of investing in warfare. The growth in warfare preparations increased the conflicts between nations with most of them seeking to block others from continuing with their warfare plans. The disputes, however, grew sour, and the countries could no longer control their courses, and the war was sure to happen.
Imperialism was also another factor that can be said to have contributed significantly to the First World War. The early 20th century marked a period when most European powers had established their colonization in Africa (Biggar, 2015). However, Africa was not equally distributed among the European powers and the more empires a power conquered, the more powerful it was considered. Such a belief caused hatred among various powers instead of respect, and when a chance for war presented itself, powers were ready to fight each other.
Nationalism also played its role in leading to events that later led to the war. The beginning of nationalism was marked by the attempt of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austria-Hungary. The attempt did not only lead to a war in the Serbia region, but the whole of Europe was under tension. Several regions realized that it was possible to get their independence from republics that had held them against their will. The tension came at a time when the World War was looming, and nations could not wait when a call for engaging in the war came.
Before the First World War, international laws had not been established to tame the interests of nations and their impacts on world peace. The lack of international laws allowed countries to consider their interests at the expense of global peace hence the war at the end.
As a way of preparing for war, countries in Europe took the ugly turn of events as an excuse to sign defensive contracts. The signing of treaties was the last sign that nothing could be done to stop the war. Countries aligned themselves into blocs that late came to fight in the war. The formation of blocs increased the divisions and war came faster.
In sum, the First World War was not caused by a single event. Several factors worked in unison to lead to the final battle. The leading cause can, however, be identified as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
References
Biggar, N. (2015). In defence of war. New Blackfriars, 96(1062), 192-205.
Ullman, H. K. (2018). A Handful of Bullets: How the Murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Still Menaces the Peace. Naval War College Review, 71(2), 167-168.