Essay To What Extent Was Imperialism A Cause Of World War I
18/10/2011
History Standard Level
Homework.
To what extent was imperialism a cause of the First World War?
The extent to which the First World War was caused by imperialism is
debatable, but it is certain that it played an important role in the outcome of events that
led to the war. In 1914 Europe was dominated by the Great Powers all of whom had
imperial ambitions. However, imperialism was only one of the factors that lead to the
outbreak of war.
Europe at that time was divided into two “armed camps” that wanted to extend
their empires’ power by gaining control over a large number of colonies. This caused
tension and friction between the nations as they become even more competitive for the
acquisition …show more content…
The two alliance systems into which Europe had been divided were the Triple
Alliance, which consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary and later on Italy, and the Triple
Entente that comprised Britain, France and Russia. The Ottoman Empire that was
referred to as “The Sick Man of Europe” also played a role. Both the Ottoman and
Austro-Hungarian Empires were in decline, which had effects on the positions of their
friends and enemies, such as Serbia and Germany.
Why was imperialism so important in Europe at this time? “The idea behind it
was mainly to get control of new markets and new sources of raw materials.” A colony
had to be protected from other competitive empires, which could be done by the navy.
An example of naval power was when the Germans sent the gunboat Panther to Agadir
as a threat to the French in the Second Moroccan Crisis; this could be referred to as
“Gunboat diplomacy”. The Germans had created a great naval power that was a threat
to the British naval power, as the safety of the empire depended on it. This was a cause
of great tension between the two powers. The navy also guaranteed trade routes for
History Standard Level
Homework.
To what extent was imperialism a cause of the First World War?
The extent to which the First World War was caused by imperialism is
debatable, but it is certain that it played an important role in the outcome of events that
led to the war. In 1914 Europe was dominated by the Great Powers all of whom had
imperial ambitions. However, imperialism was only one of the factors that lead to the
outbreak of war.
Europe at that time was divided into two “armed camps” that wanted to extend
their empires’ power by gaining control over a large number of colonies. This caused
tension and friction between the nations as they become even more competitive for the
acquisition …show more content…
The two alliance systems into which Europe had been divided were the Triple
Alliance, which consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary and later on Italy, and the Triple
Entente that comprised Britain, France and Russia. The Ottoman Empire that was
referred to as “The Sick Man of Europe” also played a role. Both the Ottoman and
Austro-Hungarian Empires were in decline, which had effects on the positions of their
friends and enemies, such as Serbia and Germany.
Why was imperialism so important in Europe at this time? “The idea behind it
was mainly to get control of new markets and new sources of raw materials.” A colony
had to be protected from other competitive empires, which could be done by the navy.
An example of naval power was when the Germans sent the gunboat Panther to Agadir
as a threat to the French in the Second Moroccan Crisis; this could be referred to as
“Gunboat diplomacy”. The Germans had created a great naval power that was a threat
to the British naval power, as the safety of the empire depended on it. This was a cause
of great tension between the two powers. The navy also guaranteed trade routes for