The Great War The early 1900s was a time of extreme nationalism throughout all of Europe. Nationalism is a strong sense of pride in one’s country. Militaries were becoming stronger and alliances were formed. France, Britain, and Russia formed the Allied Powers and Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire formed the Central Powers. All European countries were boiling over with excitement and pride. Everyone was waiting for a spark to ignite the war. War broke out over trouble with the Balkans in 1914. Russia supported Serbia becoming independent, but Austria-Hungary wanted to remain in control over them. The Great War was the most horrific war ever seen due to new technology invented during the Industrial Revolution. Extreme nationalism …show more content…
Europe was extremely excited to go to war because each country was determined it would be a quick win. During this time, no one from the last war was alive because there hasn’t been a war in so long. All people were able to look to were books and pictures, but even those poorly represented war. The elders urged all the youth to go to war once they finished grade school. There was no other option. According to All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, “There was, indeed, one of us who hesitated and did not want to fall into line. That was Joseph Behm, a plump, homely fellow. But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would’ve been ostracized. And perhaps more of us thought as he did, but no one could very well stand out, because at that time even one’s parents were ready with the word ‘coward’; no one had the vaguest idea what we were in for.” Because no one who was alive experienced war, they saw it as a very exciting and heroic thing to be in. Paired with the immense pride everyone felt for their country, young boys had no choice but to go to war to prove their country was above all. Failure to do so would be viewed as a disgrace to the country and a cowardly
The are four “main reason why Europe was unsteady. One is Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. Militarism is growing your nation's army, to have a fighting chance. Alliances are having an agreement with another country and helping one if need help. Imperialism is a country taking over someone else's land and making them go by their government. Nationalism is a strong love for your country. These are the main reasons but will this incident be the last straw for Europe.The archduke( Franz Ferdinand) and his wife of Austria-Hungary were visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia on June 28th, 1914. The black hand was a terrorist group that wanted Bosnia to belong to Serbia. First, they tried a bomb and failed, then a young shooter succeed. He was
The start of the 20th century was marked by a strong sense of nationalism in many European powers. This shared patriotism, was evoked by many governments to gain support about becoming a part in World War I. Many people bought into this sense of belonging and sought to fight for
One of the first and most significant deaths was Joseph Behm. He was persuaded by Kantorek into joining the army even though he was very reluctant at first. It states, “ That was Joseph Behm, a plump, homely fellow. But he did allow himself to be persuaded, otherwise he would have been ostracized.” (Remarque, 11). Early in the war, Joseph Behm was shot in the eye and when he failed to return to cover, he was killed before anyone could get him. The death of Joseph Behm illustrates that although at times it is frightening, the young men trusts and enlist in the guidance of mentors or teachers. If someone as afraid as Behm joins the army, then they hold great esteem to what the teacher says. However, the men have lost the respect they once had for their teacher because Behm’s death symbolizes the unfulfilled words of Kantorek. It states, “ The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first death we saw shattered this belief.” (Remarque,
In the opening chapter, Paul Baumer, the narrator, recalls how schoolteachers, such as his own, persuaded their bright-eyed students to put on the German colors. Paul’s teacher, Kantorek, taught his students the importance of the war as he instilled in them the values of nationalism and patriotism. Everyday, he sprouted war propaganda at them in “long lectures” (Remarque 11). He glamorized the war telling his students that they were “the Iron Youth” (Remarque 18) and that “duty to one’s country is the greatest thing” (Remarque 13). Consequently, his students left class enlisted in the war one by one “until the whole of the class went” (Remarque 11). When the students left the comforts of home to volunteer for the war, they valued their country above all else and were prepared to face their own death as doing so lined up with what they believed in.
I strongly believe that the source is incorrect that nationalism was the real reason that World War One was started. I believe that militarism, and assassination were the actual cause and what started World War One over nationalism. In the following paragraph, here are examples that will support my claim that militarism, and assassination was the actual cause of World War One.
This Great War was the largest, most destructive war that the world has ever laid eyes on. WWI was a worldwide war that changed the course of the twentieth century and it wasn’t a good change either. From 1870 to 1914, some developments slowly increased tensions among the European powers that led to the outbreak of World War I. The growth of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism increased tensions that increased among all the European nations. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was caused by greed, chaos, and revenge Slavs in the Balkans during the 1917. World War I was caused from a conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary generating madness.
The First World War, also known as ‘The Great War’ due to its immense number of casualties and also large amount of countries involved, took place in 1914-1918. The spark that started the whole war occurred when Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro Hungarian throne, was assassinated on the 28th of June, 1914. The First World War was pernicious in many ways; however there are three main reasons the Great War was so deadly: the new types of weapons, lack of successful leadership and the terrible living conditions.
The early attitudes of British and German soldiers to the war were immensely supportive. Hundreds of thousands of men eagerly lined up at the enlistment offices in Britain to fight on the Western Front. As Source A outlines, this enthusiastic reaction was largely due to the ignorance of the British people who had little understanding of the nature of modern warfare. Furthermore, Source A describes the patriotism, search for purpose in life, love of adventure and ideas of masculinity that drove the eagerness of participation in the war. Similarly to Britain, there were high levels of enthusiasm towards the war throughout Germany, with many expecting a short adventure and rapid victory. The German men shared the same incentives to enlist as their British counterparts; peer pressure, desire to impress the ladies, honour,
In The World in the Twentieth Century, War and Revolutions, Brower and Sanders began our literary journey through the beginnings of The Great War; in June, 1914 Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian Nationalist murdered the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His killing quickly initiated a series of events that would soon lead to the start of the First World War (38). History.com says in the Outbreak of World War I, many believed that the Great War came out of nowhere. While the European continent was seemingly enjoying “a long stretch of unparalleled peace and prosperity,” many conflicts were unfolding long before this devastation took hold. The people of the world wanted more land and demanded more military power to obtain it; nationalism took the spotlight. Everyone felt a strong commitment to their country and wanted to see growth in its power. Allison Carabajal stated, the idea of “survival of the fittest” was underway.
The twentieth century shaped countries in a way that forged the future of these counties. At a moment when the war had just started. Nationalism was a mindset, a smaller version of brainwash. It motivated people to excel in their respective tasks. Economic and politic have changed how each country identified themselves which lead them to choose between socialism and capitalism. It determined the effectiveness of their army, mindset culture and so on.
The Rise of Nationalism In the 1800s, a new force rose within the heart of Europe that helped bring about the Great War. The force was nationalism - the belief that loyalty to a person's nation and its political and economic goals comes before any other public loyalty. During the 1800's nationalism took hold among people who shared a common language, history, or culture. Such people began to view themselves as members a national group or nation.
In the late 1800s, the idea of nationalism swept across the continent of Europe that steered about the Great War such as Russian supporting the Slavic peoples, assassination of Archduke, and unification of Germany. With the increasing desire for independence, the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina no longer
Nationalism dominated in modern warfare. Nationalism, it spread like wild fire in the European parts in the nineteenth century. It played a significant role in igniting the spark in World War as many nation states participated and felt some degree of a sense of national identity. In the war time, the Great Powers, Austrai-Hungary, Germany and Russia were not in good relations with the term nationalism as they feared it because it could revolutionized the minds of its colonial people. The Bourgeoisie were the one trying their utmost best to prevent the war due to the fact that their wealth was also on the line. (Gregory 2003; 02) states that " nationalists and imperialists pressure groups organized pro-war demonstrations during the slide to
Nationalism was a significant cause of World War I. In the years prior to war, many Europeans nurtured a firm belief in the cultural, economic and military supremacy of their nation. This arrogance and overconfidence was fuelled by the jingoistic press. The pages of newspapers were often packed with nationalist rhetoric, inflammatory stories about rival nations and other forms of sabre rattling. Nationalism was also reflected in other aspects of popular culture, including literature, music and theatre. Royals, politicians and diplomats did little to deflate nationalism – and some actively contributed to it with their own provocative remarks and rhetoric. Nationalism assured citizens of the moral rectitude of their nation, suggesting that it was fair, righteous and without blame. In contrast it demonised rival nations, caricaturing them as aggressive, scheming, deceitful, backward or uncivilised. It convinced many Europeans that their nation was threatened by the expansionist plotting of its rivals. It assured them that in the event of a war, their nation would emerge victorious. In concert with its brothers, imperialism and militarism, nationalism created a mass delusion that a European war was both winnable and
Their most important common cause of World War I and World War II was the nationalist rivalry between the European powers. In 1914, around the start of World War I, Nationalism was “nothing like the optimistic, utopian movements of the nineteenth century; it was hostile, fearful, and aggressive” (Week 5, Lecture 1, Background to the War). This led to people being much more open and accepting toward the violent,