The Main Causes of WWI: Militarism, Nationalism and Alliances
It seemed inevitable at the time, Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, assassinated in broad daylight on the 28th of June 1914. War was instantly upon Europe. Yet, the hapless death of Franz was a mere catalyst for battle; war had in fact been brewing amongst Europe for decades. In this paper I want show militarism examples as an argument why WWI started.
A significant factor for the Great Power rivalry was militarism: the glorification and preponderance of military demands. Emerging technologies produced during the Industrial Revolution heightened tensions between Europe as nations struggled to surmount one another. Britain identified Germany as a predominant threat, repercussive of Germany’s thirst to build a battle fleet contending Britain’s. Britain’s warranted preparatory measure was the launch of the Dreadnought, a deadly naval vessel exhibiting the nation’s supremacy. So as an examples of militarism in ww1, began the arms race, a fierce competition of nations mass-producing vessels to surpass the other. The ramifications of militarism were evident through the rise if military expenditure, introducing force as a solution to problems. Young soldiers were constantly reminded that success in war was dependent upon a nation’s military spirit. An increase in military cooperation is one the main and the biggest examples of militarism that demonstrated the effects of militarism whilst cultural influences were present through propaganda: newspapers portrayed military leaders as heroes and illustrated rival nation as vicious aggressors. It is therefore clear that militarism was a primary influencer of the tensed relationship between European powers prior to the war.
Alliances were arguably the most striking cause of the war because, though they did not force nations to war, they drew them into confrontation with neighbouring countries. Alliances unearthed confidence for a nation to attack with the faith that another country had their back. They also provided European states with protection, guard of national interests and also acted as an impediment to war. International rivalries turned alliances into a commodity in European politics, evident through examples such as Germany and Austria-Hungary’s alliance of protection against Russia, which spurred Russia to form an alliance with France in defence. They resulted in an escalation of conflict, involving countries such as Australia and India who weren’t directly related to the dispute against Germany, forced to join only because of their relationship with Britain . The war was divided into two principal alliances: The Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy against the Triple Entente of Russia, Britain and France. Together, they provoked battle across the globe.
Imperialism was a notable cause for war as it entitled countries to compete for resources and land. Europe’s desperation to acquire new territorial possessions was known colloquially as the “Scramble” for Africa, a rivalry for ruling rights. In 1870, approximately 9.7% of Africa fell under European control, however, that statistic changed to 89.3% by 1914, clearly exemplifying Europe’s imperialist desires to satisfy their demands for land and resources. This followed by multiple territorial acquisitions ultimately strained relationships between nations because land was crucial for expansion of trade. Imperialism created a new market for goods to be exchanged: since trade allowed countries to sell goods back to their colonies, imperialism was critical for an empire to maintain its territories, specifically those gained through force and subjugation. Prior to 1914, the British Empire was the most dominant imperial power and the attitude of the other countries to display superiority fuelled rivalry between Europe.
The nationalism movement: defined by an intense patriotism to one’s country, was an important cause for the war because it birthed a generation of citizens willing to fight for their country. The pre-war period saw extreme tension in Europe: Pan-Slavic nationalism ensued to Serbia’s extreme resistance to becoming a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire whilst France’s resentment towards their defeat in the Franco-Prussian war saw hatred between them and Germany. Stimulated by pressures from leaders, nationalism was evident in soldiers who fought in battle, their spirit to fight having a drastic impact on the strength of an army. Nationalism not only spurred the dawn of war but also provoked it to continue as countries urged to display their dominance over one another. Compelling nationalist attitudes resulted in cultural stereotypes: Russians were viewed as uncultured and the British were depicted as greedy. It is distinct that nationalism subdued soldiers to come together for the common cause of loyalty, heavily influencing the moral spirit of an army.
The long-term causes of militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism had a significant influence on the war, with alliances emerging as a leading cause because the affiliation between countries was responsible for turning what should have simply been the Balkan War, into a worldwide conflict. The heightened tensions between European nations fatefully ended with an armistice between the Allies and Germany, effective at 11 am on the 11th of November 1918. With over 17 million casualties, the war was finally over.
