The Causes of the First World War - 1166 Words

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. In order to fully understand how Britain’s decision to go to war against Germany is best explained one must engage into the debate revolving around the question of the extent to which Britain and other countries were responsible for causing war. This helps explain the intention Britain had for war which is vital in understanding their decision making process to cause war in the first place. Some schools of thought have come to the conclusion that it was everybody or nobody- the continent â€Å"slithered over the brink into the boiling cauldron of war without any trace of apprehension or dismay.†1 That analysis will be considered in this essay as will the widespread thesis that it was Germany’s aggression which not only created the preconditions for war, but also triggered Britain into war with the political imbalance of power being created from the growing naval and colonial expansion of Germany. Other factors that help explain why Britain went to war against G ermanyShow MoreRelatedThe Causes Of The First World War1406 Words   |  6 PagesOption A: What in your view were the causes of the First World War? How have historians’ views on the war changed over time? Historical events are crucial in human thoughts since they understand themselves better in the present through analyzing their past occurrences. Historical events help us to know the causes of certain past events, therefore, making the cause to entail long-term ideology events and actions. Nevertheless, the causes of certain events may differ depending on the scale of historyRead MoreCauses of the First World War1164 Words   |  5 PagesWorld War I Essay When a nation’s hunger for power and control become too great, the nation may be pushed to do things that may have harsh consequences. This was the case in the early 1900’s when the world engaged in its first major global military conflict. There were a number of causes of the First World War; due to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany accepted full responsibility for the war. Although the Germans had a large contribution in starting the war, they should not be fully heldRead MoreThe Causes Of The First World War1395 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of the First World War were similar and differed from the causes of the Second World War politically, economically, and socially. Both of these significant, historical events were substantially affected by the interaction of dominating societies during this time period. During the First World War, these leading societies were the European authorities of Britain, Germany, and Austria, with slight assistance from the U.S. However, the United States allocated their full engagement duringRead MoreCauses of the First World War Essay752 Words   |  4 PagesWhat were the causes of the first world war? Many people believe, that the First World War was caused by the assassination of the heir to the empire of Austria-Hungry, Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand. However, I believe, there were many other more important causes that could have started the war. For example: the rivalry of countries, the alliances (Triple Entente and Triple Alliance), the industries of Britain and Germany, Militarism, Rivalry and many more. Firstly, Germany was trying to expandRead MoreCauses of First World War Essay940 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The First World War started in 1914 and lasted for four years to end in 1918 when Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman empires were defeated (Havers 7). There have been a number of causes identified to have led to the war but most of them are not as straightforward as many would think. In essence, the root causes of the war are deeper than most abstract reasons many authors have identified in the past. However, this does not mean that there was no trail of events which directlyRead MoreThe Major Cause Of The First World War838 Words   |  4 PagesLead To The First World War The events that result to or lead to the outbreak of a war form part of history that is highly analyzed and discussed over historical times for number of significant reasons. These reasons include giving answers to questions and shedding knowledge upon some particular patterns that may exist in war circumstances and giving an understanding on how and why they occur. For instance, the First World War was preceded by a number of events globally. The cause of war was introducedRead MoreCauses of the First World War Essay2064 Words   |  9 PagesCauses of the First World War â€Å"The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 grew out of a short term crisis in the Balkans, but any attempt to understand its origins must take into account a number of long standing developments.† (McDonough). To discuss this judgement, we must investigate the causes of the First World War, the consequences of these actions, and to what extent were they responsible for the start of the war. A long term and economical causeRead MoreBritish Empire : A Major Cause Of The First World War1694 Words   |  7 Pages 11/18/14 Global 10 Mrs. DelFavero British Empire in India (1850-1914) Imperialism was a major cause of the first world war; the reason being is that imperialism often led to competition for land as well to nationalism and complex systems of alliances that led to several world powers going to war in 1914; one of those world powers was the British Empire. The British Empire’s presence in India is a perfect example of imperialism and its effects going into WWIRead MoreIn What Ways Did the Causes of the Second World War Differ from the Causes of the First World War?2006 Words   |  9 Pagesways did the causes of the Second World War differ from the causes of the First World War? The First World War (1914-1918) was the deadliest, most destructive war that had occurred in history up to that time; it was of a scale unknown to previous generations. Nonetheless, the Second World War (1939-1945) proved to be by far deadlier than the First One. Both World War I and World War II were total wars fought between the major industrial nations and their empires and both were wars of attritionRead MoreCritically asses three major causes of the First World War2347 Words   |  10 PagesThere are many causes to the First World War, many of which are results of complex developments which took place for a number of years before the war, such as the conflict over the Balkans and the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The most obvious cause may be the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. However, upon close examination of the events leading up to World War One, we shall see that this was merely the spark that set off the chain of events leading up to the Great War. One of the main