Origins of the First World War - 1435 Words

The First World War was an international conflict which erupted in July 1914 involving various nations across the world. Many historians and those who have studied the Great War tend to give varied opinions as to what initially sparked the outbreak. However, although these opinions between researchers differ, they do all tend to revolve around the hostility between the great powers of Europe, the violent assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the controversial pieces of German foreign policy known as Weltpolitik and Mitteleuropa, which according to political theorist Hans Debruck (1899), would not only transform Germany into a nation of great economic and military power, but also into a nation that has been†¦show more content†¦This theory appeared to be very inspirational for Germany as they were unfortunately surrounded by other dominant powers. With Social Darwinism in mind, the new German king Wilhelm II sparked serious concern amongst the Eu ropean powers by establishing two pieces of foreign policy known as Weltpolitik and Mitteleuropa. Weltpolitik, according to Debruck (1899), was a piece of legislation that was established to help the Germans pursue colonial and naval power in the grand manner through either peace or war. The other policy, Mitteleuropa, also caused huge political unrest amongst the great powers as it was viewed as a plan for Europe to be completely dominated by German empires. So from the establishment of these two pieces of legislation, it quickly became unequivocal that Germany was becoming a nation of potential threat. Additionally, the Germans were also accused by the British media of trying to cause a civil war in Ireland by providing both loyalist and nationalist groups with weapons; another example of Germanys uprising power and aggression (Padfield, 2005). So with Germany becoming a particularly aggressive nation, causing the other nations such as Britain to become somewhat solicitous, how we re the other great powers such as Russia and Austria developing? Throughout the expansion of Germany, Russia and Austria wereShow MoreRelatedThe Origins Of The First World War1792 Words   |  8 Pages The Origins of the First World War The Road To War Is Paved With Good Alliances Did a failure in alliance cause World War 1? Who’s who? Great Britain had a very large empire mostly in Africa and Asia. Britain was choosing to keep out of all matters in Europe that didn t concern them, this policy was called Splendid Isolation and for some time, it was very splendid for Britain, they were once the top for industrial and maritime industrial. Because of Splendid Isolation, it was very hard forRead MoreBritain And The Origins Of The First World War708 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Origins of the First World War. Second Edition. First published 2003 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York. 341 pages. Hardcover, $65.33, ISBN 0-333-73466-I. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Britain, What Will You Do? After reading thoroughly, readers may find it is a well-made and thoroughly thought out book. This text clarifies Britain’s feelings about going into what would be known as today, as â€Å"The Great War† or â€Å"WorldRead MoreWhat Were the Underlying Causes of Wwi Dbq Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War I was a major event of deaths, disasters, causes and effects on the European countries. World War I was a war against three European countries England, France, and Russian versus Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. Friedrich Engels explains in The Origins of the First World War (Doc A) the aftermath of the Thirty Years War caused many devastating effects like famine, sickness, want and brutalizing the population and this is being compared to World War I saying that the same outcome happenedRead MoreDecisions For War By Richard Hamilton And Holger Herwig1190 Words   |  5 PagesDecisions for War, 1914-1917 by Richard Hamilton and Holger Herwig investigates the origins of the First World War detailing individual country’s reasons for entering the war. Historians at War by Anthony Adamthwaite explores how scholars have understood the origins of the Second World War throughout varying times and differing national view points. Both works share a common theme of determinism; a retrospective notion placed on historical events by historians that Europe was inescapably predestinedRead MoreWhy Did A.J.P Taylor’s Analysis of the Origins of the Second World War Cause Such Controversy Among Historians?759 Words   |  4 PagesA.J.P Taylor’s analysis of the origins of the Second World War cause such controversy among historians? It was broadly considered that the Second World War began in 1939 because of Hitler’s plan for world domination; many historians validated this view at the time until A.J.P. Taylor published his book ‘Origins of the Second World War’ in 1961. A. J. P Taylor was the first historian to examine the war with a completely open mind, forcing people to view the origins not as a moral issue but as a politicalRead MoreExploring the Causes of World War One Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesCauses of World War One The long-term origins to World War One start back in 1870 with the Franco-Prussian War. In the Franco-Prussian war France lost to Germany which lead to the two countries never being in an alliance with one another. Once the war was over it lead to the forming of the triple Alliance which was one of the main alliances during the first world war. The Triple alliance was made up of the countries - Germany, Austo-Hungery and Italy, and it was first formedRead MoreThe Causes of World War I674 Words   |  3 PagesThe Causes of World War I World War I has several causes, including four decades of conflict which led up to its actual beginning (McMeekin, 2011). Alliances between countries, nationalism, military structures and imperialism all played significant roles in the conflict, but there were more immediate origins that were also important when it came down to the decision to go to war (Barnes, 1929). During the crisis of 1914 there were decisions made and actions taken by generals and statesmen, includingRead MoreThe Battle Of The World War II1414 Words   |  6 Pagesthe global conflict known as World War 2 had been brutally raging on for over two years. American forces had managed to stay out of the war. However, when the Japanese bombed the naval base in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, the Americans could no longer hold out. On December 7, 1941, the United States of America entered WWII (â€Å"Origins of the Normandy Landing†). Before the Americans entered the war, Winston Churchill and the Allies (Britain, Canada, France) were losing the war. Everything was against themRead MoreThe Cold War as the Result of Fear of Soviet Expansion Essay example1472 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cold War as the Result of Fear of Soviet Expansion At the end of the Second World War only two out of the all the great powers were left standing. Germany and Japan had been crushed in the war and Britain and France were weakened economically and politically. The United States, who had not seen much fighting on her shores, emerged from the war economically and politically intact as a great nuclear power and Russia, although weakened economically, had the largestRead MoreThe Battle Of The War1533 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War One has always been known as the most deadliest warfare in human history. The biggest cause of the war is still debated by historians. The aggression of Germany and the alliance system are always blamed for the origin and the expansion of the war. In my opinion, I do not agree with the statement that the â€Å"the role of alliances in the origin and expansion of the war in 1914 was greatly exaggerated†. The alliances played an extremely important role in the war, especially in expanding the