Causes of World War I

Causes of World War I

1. Colonial Rivalries. European powers shared an insatiable appetite for expansionism and wealth creation. Natural resources were required to feed their growing industrialization capabilities. Most land throughout the world the could be feasibly conquered was already under European colonial control, leaving colonial powers to fight over increasingly limited territory, such as the African interior. By the late 1800s, bitter rivalries developed as colonial powers butted heads with greater frequency.

2. Arms Race. As economic rivalries and colonial competition came to a boiling point, nations began to build their military arsenals at an unprecedented rate. Armament build-ups continued to spiral out of control as European powers sought to gain a military advantage over one another.

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3. Unmitigated Nationalism. European kingdoms had given way to nation-states throughout the 1800s following the Napoleonic Wars, lending widespread support to colonial, economic and military expansion. The Napoleonic Wars taught Europeans that it was critical to consolidate and strengthen one's nation in relation to potential rivals. Furthermore, new nations and new colonial powers such as the German Empire and Italy (formed comparatively recently, during the mid-1800s) were especially fervent, as they had been under foreign domination for so long, and were eager to reverse the situation. Their tactics became increasingly brutal and hostile as they felt compelled to play catch up with established colonial powers such as the United Kingdom, France and Spain.

4. Complex Network of Alliances. As tensions grew, alliances were formed. Nearly all of the European powers were mobilized and prepared to go to war at the drop of a hat. As Germany grew in strength, France and the UK formed an alliance to keep it in check. By the late 1800s, Germany was threatening UK naval dominance. France had just lost an important region to Germany from their loss in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and remained vulnerable to this still-growing power along their eastern border. Russia and Austria-Hungary had become distrustful of one another, as both were interested in gaining control over the Balkans. France and the UK recruited Russia to their alliance to force Germany into a two-front war in the event of hostilities, while Russia sought help in order to counterbalance the Austrian threat. Consequently, Germany and Austria-Hungary became natural bedfellows. They recruited the Ottoman Empire based in Turkey to neutralize Russia, with the promise of regaining lost Balkan territories used as a carrot.

5. The Catalyst. The Balkans had become a tinder box, as both Austria and Russia had designs on the region. When the heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated in Bosnia in 1914, Austria reacted harshly, resulting in war. Serbia was prepared to concede to Austria, but Russia made a strong showing of support, giving it courage to standup to Austria. Austria then declared war, and all the treaties and alliances were triggered, initiating The Great War (WWI).

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