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Origins Of World War I Essay

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The Origins of World War I
World War I, one of the most catastrophic wars waged on earth, began on the continent of Europe. This war was not any ordinary war; it differed from other wars because it involved countries from around the globe. It would also prove to have a lasting effect on the following century. To constantly provide for the soldiers, the war caused enormous pain, with millions injured or killed at the front and their families mourning for them. The war was not caused by a sudden or abrupt event; it was a boiling pot ready to overflow at any moment. That is, there were several reasons that prompted the war to break out across Europe. Now, World War I was officially declared in 1914, but years before that, Europe was internally conflicted. Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Serbia all contributed to the war, …show more content…

By definition, the blank check is a promise of constant support to whoever the check was given to. Germany made the grave mistake of giving Austria-Hungary a black check, agreeing and supporting whatever this country did. According to McKay, “German encouragement help push Austria-Hungary into war with Serbia despite the risk of Russian involvement” (836). According to a letter between Austrians from Berlin and Vienna, it states that even if war broke out between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Germany would side with Austria because of the blank check. Because Germany and Austria were bound together, the former could assist the latter with military force, since Austria’s own armies were lacking. Therefore, Germany decided to take action by executing the Schlieffen Plan, which was to take out France before the rest of Europe had enough time to mobilize its own armies. This was one reason the blank check contributed to the start of the war; Germany felt as if it could take charge and attack whatever was necessary to win the

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