How Did Imperialism Cause Ww1
World War I (1914 – 1918) was a war that was caused by many different factors but there are four major ones. One such cause was militarism, with countries engaging in a weaponry race. Nationalism was another cause, making tensions between countries rise. The concept of alliances between major countries in Europe was a third cause. The final major cause of World War I was the developing feeling of imperialism in European countries. All these concepts and ideas came together in the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austria-Hungary empire.
The concept of militarism was a major cause of World War I. In the years leading up to 1914 technology became increasingly more advanced, with countries gaining more advanced weaponry which …show more content…
For centuries, Great Britain had ruled over the biggest empire in the world, but from the beginning of the 20th century, Germany became envious. By 1913 the British empire was ruling over 400 million people (Bitesize, 2024), however Germany only had 67 million by 1914 (Britannica, 2024). Germany only became an independent country in 1870 – too late to grow an empire but as the leader of Germany at the time, Kaiser Wilhelm, said, “Despite not having the fleet we should have, we have conquered for ourselves a place in the sun. It is now my task to see to it that this place in the sun shall remain our undisputed possession” (History, 2014). They were still willing to do whatever it took. Imperialism went mutually together with nationalism and militarism as acquiring more land seemed a perfect way to show how superior the country was, but to obtain more land you needed to have a better military. However, it was not just the major parties of Europe that were desperate to have more of their own land. The Austria-Hungary Empire controlled three-quarters of Serbia, which resulted in rebellions and tension between the two countries. Many countries saw war as an opening to expand their empires, allowing imperialism to be one of the driving forces behind the start of World War
The concept of militarism was a major cause of World War I. In the years leading up to 1914 technology became increasingly more advanced, with countries gaining more advanced weaponry which …show more content…
For centuries, Great Britain had ruled over the biggest empire in the world, but from the beginning of the 20th century, Germany became envious. By 1913 the British empire was ruling over 400 million people (Bitesize, 2024), however Germany only had 67 million by 1914 (Britannica, 2024). Germany only became an independent country in 1870 – too late to grow an empire but as the leader of Germany at the time, Kaiser Wilhelm, said, “Despite not having the fleet we should have, we have conquered for ourselves a place in the sun. It is now my task to see to it that this place in the sun shall remain our undisputed possession” (History, 2014). They were still willing to do whatever it took. Imperialism went mutually together with nationalism and militarism as acquiring more land seemed a perfect way to show how superior the country was, but to obtain more land you needed to have a better military. However, it was not just the major parties of Europe that were desperate to have more of their own land. The Austria-Hungary Empire controlled three-quarters of Serbia, which resulted in rebellions and tension between the two countries. Many countries saw war as an opening to expand their empires, allowing imperialism to be one of the driving forces behind the start of World War