Was the Assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand That Important?
Matteo Bellani 3H
History Common Assessment: the Assassination of the Archduke Was the Most Important Cause of WW1. Do you agree?
Two bullets fired in a Sarajevo back-street on the morning of the 28th June in 1914 set in motion a series of events that have shaped the world we live in today: World War One, World War Two, the Cold War and their conclusions all trace their causes to the gunshots that shook that summer day. But why was this so important? Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife were the victims, the heirs to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Tensions had been building up in the years before hand, but were their deaths really that important as an individual event? To begin with, one would have to look at the various factors that led to souring in relations between countries, for example, “Weltpolitik”. Germany was a new country, and had industrialized pretty quickly. Its nationalism was growing which led its imperialistic attitude. Thus it had ditched “realpolitik” and cast its eyes on the rest of the world. Germany did not “want to place anyone in the shadow,” but still have “a place under the sun.” Britain and other leading powers did not want Germany to have an empire, because they were scared it would make Germany even more powerful. Germany accused them of double standards and led to it feeling resentful to the other countries. In order to achieve Weltpolitik, Germany had to develop a formidable navy. Britain had the strongest navy since the Battle of Trafalgar, and needed one in order to maintain its empire and import vital supplies. Thus, it saw Germany’s naval ambitions as a threat. When Britain built the first Dreadnought, it brought the naval race to a new level. The Germans developed the “Risk Theory”: that Britain would stay in port, rather than risk severely damaging its navy in a battle. On the other hand, Britain developed the “Two Power Standard”: that Britain should have a navy stronger than the other two leading navies
History Common Assessment: the Assassination of the Archduke Was the Most Important Cause of WW1. Do you agree?
Two bullets fired in a Sarajevo back-street on the morning of the 28th June in 1914 set in motion a series of events that have shaped the world we live in today: World War One, World War Two, the Cold War and their conclusions all trace their causes to the gunshots that shook that summer day. But why was this so important? Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife were the victims, the heirs to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Tensions had been building up in the years before hand, but were their deaths really that important as an individual event? To begin with, one would have to look at the various factors that led to souring in relations between countries, for example, “Weltpolitik”. Germany was a new country, and had industrialized pretty quickly. Its nationalism was growing which led its imperialistic attitude. Thus it had ditched “realpolitik” and cast its eyes on the rest of the world. Germany did not “want to place anyone in the shadow,” but still have “a place under the sun.” Britain and other leading powers did not want Germany to have an empire, because they were scared it would make Germany even more powerful. Germany accused them of double standards and led to it feeling resentful to the other countries. In order to achieve Weltpolitik, Germany had to develop a formidable navy. Britain had the strongest navy since the Battle of Trafalgar, and needed one in order to maintain its empire and import vital supplies. Thus, it saw Germany’s naval ambitions as a threat. When Britain built the first Dreadnought, it brought the naval race to a new level. The Germans developed the “Risk Theory”: that Britain would stay in port, rather than risk severely damaging its navy in a battle. On the other hand, Britain developed the “Two Power Standard”: that Britain should have a navy stronger than the other two leading navies