At the turn of the twentieth century, Europe seemed to enjoy a period of peace and progress. Yet below the surface, several forces were at work that would lead Europe into the “great war”. One of these forces was nationalism and it had an explosive effect in the Balkans. But, nationalism was only one of the many causes of World War I. Historians and eyewitnesses have described the causes of World War I and have tried to assess the responsibility for it. Two causes for World War I are militarism and nationalism. Militarism is when the empires use weapons and armies strength to show who is more powerful. Empires would build stronger weapons to fight other empires to show their strength. Nationalism is pride in one’s country or culture. All countries thought their best. These two causes influenced World War I.
One cause of World War I is militarism. The empires wanted to show who’s the strongest. They built a stronger military and weapons to show how strong they are. Document 1, shows how weapon prices increased in some countries. Military power is seen as a symbol of national prestige. Prestige is respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of their achievement or quality. Militarism is the glorification of war by all powers. It is an arms race among great powers. In document 6, the Europeans are blamed for the start of World War I and now the mobilization of their armies for war. If one country built something, then the other countries would try to build something stronger and better. They believed in Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism is the idea that stronger nations can dominate weaker nations and spread their culture and ideas. Militarism had a great influence and was one of the causes of World War I.
Another cause of World War I is nationalism. Nationalism caused all countries to think they’re the best.it was competition between European countries. For example, the French had revenge against Germany. The French desire