WW1 : Short-Term Causes Of World War I

World War I was a tragic episode in European history. As with most wars, there were some causes that led to this event. A few of these causes were militarism, alliances, and imperialism. The first spark of the war was on June 28, 1914 when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist group called the Black Hand. The Austrian leaders demanded an apology from Serbia, they got upset and Russia said they would help Serbia. With no apology and the threat of Russia, on June 28 Austria-Hungary declared war on them; Russia in return declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany declared war on Russia, France on both Germany and Austria-Hungary. Finally Britain had joined France and Russia, then all of Europe was at war.

World War I, also known as the first World War, or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe the began on the 28th of July 1914 and lasted until the 11th of November 1918. World War I was a war that was fought between two sides with a few of the World’s greatest Nations of that time. The two sides were Triple Entente which included Britain, France, and Russia, and the Triple Alliance which was consisted of the countries Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. World War I left a mark on history as we know it, what could have possibly led to that war?, What were the underlying causes of World War I?. The major causes of “The Great War” or WWI consist of four long-term causes and one short-term cause. The common acronym that’s used for the four long-term causes to help students remember the causes of WWI is M.A.I.N; the acronym stands for Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism,and the short-term cause The Assassination of the ArchDuke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on the 28th of June 1914. To put all of this in a simpler way the five major causes of WWI was Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism, and the assassination of the ArchDuke Franz Ferdinand. Each of topics played a significant role in the reasons why WWI would begin.

There are many reasons why World War One occurred in 1914, many are complex and remain controversial which is why the matter has been disputed to this day by historians all over the world. My theory is that a lot of those reasons and the trigger factor all links to one thing; the alliance system. The alliance system is what made countries oppose each other and become rivals making it the most significant factor. It had an impact on who supported who when Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. This was only the spark that started war in Europe; there were long term causes that contributed to the war and were the origins. This answer will explain the causes focusing on how they contributed to World War One and what the important links are

As soldiers went away to war, waving at their family and friends goodbye hoping to see them on Christmas Day, instead were blown across a field, torso and head 50 feet apart. World War One, or the “War to End all Wars”, started when a Serbian terrorist assassinated ArchDuke of Austria Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, on June 28, 1914, which led to disputes and chain reactions of declarations of war between countries. Although this event was said to light the fuse, the big wires that were attached to the bomb consisted of alliances, militarism, and imperialism.

France and England created an alliance because they both feared Germany’s naval strength and supremacy. Despite claiming it was defensive in nature, it spread east and eventually, other countries were involved. Since Austria-Hungary and Germany were in dispute over the assassination, they became involved too. Therefore, alliance systems played a significant role in the outbreak of the war. Since these countries. became involved in

There were many underlying causes that could have been used to lead up to World War I. World War I had many turning points throughout the war. The war took over a huge piece of land and water for each country involved in the war. There were four main causes that have been believed to be the cause of World War I.

One underlying cause of World War 1 was the alliance systems. There were two major alliances. The triple entente and the triple alliance (Document A). The triple entente consisted of Russia, United Kingdom, and France. The triple alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and italy. Alliances were quick to support their allies (Document B). Each country had a different point of view of who started the war. So this created a chain reaction (Document B). Those are a few ways alliance systems caused World War 1.

World War I was also known as the Great War, or the War to End All Wars. This war took place from 1914 to 1918. World War I was sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28th, 1914, although a war was inevitable due to the tensions between European countries. The three main causes of World War I were nationalism, militarism, and alliances. Nationalism initiated war because citizens felt that it was their duty to defend their country’s honor.

Though most historians consider the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary the most immediate cause of WWI, or the rise of Germany to be the main cause since they signed the Versailles Treaty (Doc 4), many agree that the war was not caused by just one thing. Instead, it was caused by a concept instead of specific people or countries. It seemed that everyone, during this time period, had started to increase their military power and defense systems. Therefore, World War I was caused by two things: the fear these countries had of losing their power, and the big toll that European Imperialism took international relations.

On the 28th of July 1914, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the war was then determined the First World War. There were 4 other long-term causes of the First World War, those causes were militarism, imperialism, nationalism and the alliance system. Here is why militarism was a long-term cause of the First World War.

After the assassination of archduke Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which caused Russia to join the war in aid of Serbia because they had a special ethnic tie which both countries had Slavic populations (Doc A). The illustration is significant because countries would have to back each other up in case other countries went to war, leading to a widespread war. Furthermore, the war between Austria-Hungary and Russia introduced Germany, associated with the Triple Alliance Treaty to Austria-Hungary, into the war . Which meant France and Britain, bound by the triple Entente, were also at war with Germany mainly because Germany cuts through Belgium “ Belgium shall form an independent and perpetually neutral state” (Doc B). The evidence suggests that allied countries had to assist colleagues in terms of conflict no matter how the conflict started. Thus, the alliance system lets World War I be a world war because when one country comes to support another, it causes tension for other countries, forcing them to join the mess and that led to a widespread

With many factors leading to the origin of WWI, alliances contributed the most. This is because alliances dragged different countries into the war due to a binding agreement. As Serbia pulled in Russia and Austria-Hungary had Germany’s support, causing a domino effect with other allies. This means that when two countries are having a disagreement, then many other countries are having a disagreement with one another, due to their alliance. Starting with a conflict of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife Sofia of Austria Hungary, done by a Serbian civilian, created negative sparks between the two countries of Austria Hungary and Serbia. Although this conflict had been just between the two countries, it hauled over their alliances in need of support.

The main cause of World War One was the assassination of the archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand in June of 1914. Two months later, on August 4th, 1914 Great Britain declared war. Ireland, at this time, was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and as a result, they had become a part of the war as well. Before the war broke out, there were already fifty-eight thousand Irishmen enlisted in the British Army or Navy. During the duration of the war, another one hundred-thirty Irishmen were recruited as volunteers. These Irishmen joined the armed forces for several different reasons. Some, because of political reasons, others joined to send money to loved ones back home, and some were simply after the adventure that war brought along with it. Tom Barry, who enlisted in the British military in June 1915, said he joined “to see what war was like, to get a gun, to see new countries and to feel like a grown man.”

Immediate origins of WW1 are due to Serbia. Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian, had assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne on June 28, 1914. Ferdinand’s assassination was the first event that had caused the beginning of World War 1 but the origins of the war go much farther back and involve national politics, cultures, economics, and alliances between European powers since 1870. Militarism, imperialism, and nationalism were also big factors in the war breaking out. Countries like Germany and Great Britain increased their military power.

This question has formed part of the historiography of the causes of the First World War, a historical debate that has endured ever since the conflict ended. It periodically resurfaces with new theories being advanced such as the Fischer thesis, usually on account of the release of previously unseen documents or because of a shift in the political climate. It has emerged to the fore once again because this year is the centennial of the war’s outbreak and there are plans to commemorate it nationally across the UK.