What Are The Causes Of World War 1 Essay
World War One had many causes and left 21,219,000 soldiers wounded and 9,906,000 soldiers dead. The Central Powers such as Germany, Austria Hungary and the Ottoman Empire and the Allied Powers France, Russia, Britain, Italy and the United States had many conflicts the time. The main causes of the war were the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, growing militaries and economic imperialism.
June 28, 1914 the first cause of World War One took place. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian throne and his wife were assassinated just after they escaped another assassination attempt. Gavrilo Princip is instantly arrested for the shooting. Ferdinand`s wife wanted Serbia’s independence. Austria Hungary commanded Serbia to punish those accountable for the assassination of Ferdinand and his wife. When Serbia failed to obey, Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia. Since Serbia was an ally of the Allied Powers, the Allied Powers …show more content…
declared war on Austria Hungary. Ferdinand’s assassination started a chain reaction that led to both powers declaring war on each other.
A widespread arms race was the second cause of World War One.
Germany and Austria desired strong military power. Britain’s Royal Navy was than both Germany and Austria Hungary’s navies combined All the major powers of Europe raced each other to build the biggest and best armed forces. Every country, except Great Britain, had a conscript army. This meant that these countries had many trained soldiers they could call up very quickly in the event of war. In 1914, the German army was the biggest and best in the world - but the Russian army was growing the fastest, and German generals were worried that, in a few years they would not be able to defeat Russia. Military spending soared, as one country increased spending another would follow. Military spending doubled in the period 1900-1914. Over 85% of men of military age in France and 50% in Germany had served in the army or navy. France had the highest proportion of its population in the army. The rivalry between the powers led to a building up of weapons and less trust between
powers. Economic imperialism was the third cause of World War One. Great Britain and France maintained their domestic economies through their control and trade with foreign colonies. Germany and Austria Hungary had very few foreign colonies, and their domestic resources were rapidly running out. Several European nations had empires in the late 19th century, though the British Empire was by far the largest of these. This period saw a race to gain the last territories open for colonization. Much of this occurred in Africa, where Britain, France and Germany all competed for new colonial possessions. This ‘scramble for Africa’ fueled rivalry. The weakening of another imperial power, the Ottoman Empire, attracted the attention of European powers, who wanted territory in the Balkans and eastern Europe
To conclude, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the desire to sustain power and a strong military, and the competition for resources for economic stability were the three main causes of World War One. Many men lost their lives over possession and, nations racing to be the strongest military.
June 28, 1914 the first cause of World War One took place. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian throne and his wife were assassinated just after they escaped another assassination attempt. Gavrilo Princip is instantly arrested for the shooting. Ferdinand`s wife wanted Serbia’s independence. Austria Hungary commanded Serbia to punish those accountable for the assassination of Ferdinand and his wife. When Serbia failed to obey, Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia. Since Serbia was an ally of the Allied Powers, the Allied Powers …show more content…
declared war on Austria Hungary. Ferdinand’s assassination started a chain reaction that led to both powers declaring war on each other.
A widespread arms race was the second cause of World War One.
Germany and Austria desired strong military power. Britain’s Royal Navy was than both Germany and Austria Hungary’s navies combined All the major powers of Europe raced each other to build the biggest and best armed forces. Every country, except Great Britain, had a conscript army. This meant that these countries had many trained soldiers they could call up very quickly in the event of war. In 1914, the German army was the biggest and best in the world - but the Russian army was growing the fastest, and German generals were worried that, in a few years they would not be able to defeat Russia. Military spending soared, as one country increased spending another would follow. Military spending doubled in the period 1900-1914. Over 85% of men of military age in France and 50% in Germany had served in the army or navy. France had the highest proportion of its population in the army. The rivalry between the powers led to a building up of weapons and less trust between
powers. Economic imperialism was the third cause of World War One. Great Britain and France maintained their domestic economies through their control and trade with foreign colonies. Germany and Austria Hungary had very few foreign colonies, and their domestic resources were rapidly running out. Several European nations had empires in the late 19th century, though the British Empire was by far the largest of these. This period saw a race to gain the last territories open for colonization. Much of this occurred in Africa, where Britain, France and Germany all competed for new colonial possessions. This ‘scramble for Africa’ fueled rivalry. The weakening of another imperial power, the Ottoman Empire, attracted the attention of European powers, who wanted territory in the Balkans and eastern Europe
To conclude, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the desire to sustain power and a strong military, and the competition for resources for economic stability were the three main causes of World War One. Many men lost their lives over possession and, nations racing to be the strongest military.