preview

World War 1

Decent Essays

In order to properly put the diplomatic actions leading up to World War 1 in perspective, this essay will examine the diplomatic tendencies after the Napoleonic Era. The period approximately between 1815 and 1900 is pinned as a century of peace. However, this is not the case, and in fact, it could be argued that the diplomacy during this time period was a major cause of World War 1. Although this time period did not contain a massive geographic battle spanning across several continents, it contained many smaller scale wars. These wars were “managed” by the larger powers. Prominent figures during this time period such as Otto von Bismarck and Metternich, never shyed away from war. Instead, their diplomacy was coupled with that of their respected military. Carl von Clausewitz, a Prussian general and military philosopher, famously stated that “war is not merely a political act but a …show more content…

War causes several problems and requires a large amount of a government’s efforts. Furthermore, war causes controversy causes controversy within a state or a country, and lasting rivalries. Thus, governments resorted to propoganda. This promoted nationalism, and furhtered hatred for their “enemies”. The constant and continued conflict the masses saw during this time period, and the labor required by the masses to support their military eventually made it tough for a government to get them to embrace a logic of war. However, “once mobilized, how do you de-escalate?” Therefore, what is known as allegedly a “Century of Peace” between, wasn’t entirely peaceful, and led to World War 1 through continued militarism and expanding intricate alliances across Europe. After around 1900, many other events caused the immediate outbreak of World War 1. The next several paragraphs will explain what these immediate causes were, and how they originated from the political actions that took place a century before the

Get Access