Lasting from July 1914 until November 1918 the First World War has been one of the most significant and devastating events in history. Arisen as a result of conflict amongst Eastern and Western Europe and the disruption of the balance of power by the unification of Germany, World War was one of the greatest wars in history, triggered by several different factors. Nationalism, alliances and economic factors are extremely relevant when assessing the causes of the Great War. In response to the increasing amount of national rivalries by 1900, alliances were formed in order to achieve a balance of power and protection from surrounding countries throughout Europe. These played a major role in the initial breakout of war as it led to increasing tensions amongst European nations as well as a nationalistic desire for economic gains.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th century European nations formed and restructured alliances on a regular basis, which played a significant role in the outbreak of the First World War. In the years leading up to 1914 there were two main national rivalries; France and Germany, resulting from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 as well as Austria-Hungary and Russia. Alliances were formed as a way of avoiding threatening countries and provided Europe with a reassurance of protection leading up to the World War. It was believed at the time that alliance systems suggested a war was unlikely of breaking out however, tensions throughout Europe drastically increased making the notion of war more likely. Countries became increasingly suspicious of their neighbours and ultimately wished to achieve a balance of power. It became politically very difficult to deal with issues without other countries getting involved. One of the most significant events when discussing the causes of World War I was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria. The assassin was said to have been a Serbian nationalist who had wanted Austria-Hungary out of the Balkans. The aftermath of this tragedy led to a rapid chain of events and conflict in Europe, which sparked the notion of war. Like many other countries in the world, Austria-Hungary blamed the Serbian government for the attack. As Russia supported Serbia, the leaders of Austria-Hungary delayed a declaration of war until they had received assurances from Germany that they would support their case in the event of a Russian intervention, which would likely involve Russia’s ally, France. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed. “Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun,” (History.com, 2017).
Economic tensions rising from rivalry between Germany, Britain and France were majorly important in the cause of World War I. The origins of the First World War lay in the fact that German expansion was rapidly increasing. This challenged the military, industrial and naval predominance of British and French capitalism. Tensions rose as these German industries grew; their production and exports catching up with the ones of the British and French. In 1905, France took advantage of its colonial claim to Morocco in order extend its influence in the country. Colonies were of much interest for a country as “they were necessary for investment, resources and raw materials not available, or in short supply in metropolitan countries,” (The Socialist Party of Great Britain, 2017). The Germans opposed the idea of the French gaining control over Morocco and were aggravated that they had not been consulted beforehand. In response to this, Germany tried to get in the way and set up an anti-French independence movement in Morocco. Threatened by France, Kaiser Wilhelm visited the Moroccan port of Agadir and gave a speech denouncing the French influence and encouraging Moroccans to strive for independence, leading to what became known as the First Moroccan Crisis. Their aim was to humiliate France and put strain on the Anglo-French Entente, which simply strengthened this tie. Competition for the resources which filled Africa was one of the causes for the hatred amongst European countries as these would be useful to run factories and other industries. Because of this need for national security and pride, territories and colonies were required. The territorial disputes and rising tensions between the three powers ultimately became one of the main causes of World War I.
One of greatest causes leading to the First World War was the rise in nationalism throughout European nations. Europeans started to identify more with their nation states and considered its prestige a matter of highest interest. “Most pre-war Europeans believed in the cultural, economic and military supremacy of their nation,” (Alpha History, 2014). The attitudes of these countries were fuelled by media including newspapers with stories and rumours about nations. These ideologies were also based popular culture; music, theatre and literature. Nationalism assured citizens that their country was in a good position in the war. In most countries, nationalism became more aggressive and more antagonistic to members of other nations. “Many English people felt they belonged to the supreme race in the world,” (The Turning Point: Changes in Foreign Policy [in-class] worksheet). The Franco-German War, from 1870-71, had far-reaching consequences leading to cause of World War I. It established both the German Empire and the French Third Republic.
Germany’s annexation of Alsace Lorraine aroused a deep longing for revenge in the French people which tied in with the nationalistic ideals countries were relating to at the time. “The years from 1871 to 1914 were marked by an extremely unstable peace, since France’s determination to recover Alsace-Lorraine and Germany’s mounting imperialist ambitions kept the two nations constantly poised for conflict,” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2015).
Nationalistic ideals, economic factors and the alliance system had big implications on the outbreak of the war in 1914. The most prominent of these factors relates to the tension faced between Germany, Britain and France in relation to their economic advancements. This struggle, coupled with aggressive-, revengeful nationalism would eventually lead to a conflict which would rapidly spread through Europe and the rest of the world.