Hello readers. I know I've been absent from the blog for a while and I sincerely apologize. Since my last post I've been continuing to work on my manuscript for Arcadia Publishing/The History Press (my editor says I'm on the right track for what they want for the manuscript) and I've started at a full-time job as an assistant teacher in a pre-k program. Things have been going well all around.
This month, we celebrate Veterans Day on 11/11. Fighting in World War I ended at 11am on November 11, 1918. To look back on this day as a day of remembrance, The Half-Pint Historian is continuing to take a look at the causes of World War I in Europe. Let's do this!
As the early 1900s began, people in Europe had enjoyed nearly a century of relative peace; however, at this time, forces were pushing the continent towards the brink of war. Nationalistic feelings, a glorification of the military, imperial rivalries, and tangled alliances all led to unrest in Europe. The war was sparked in the Balkans, where the Ottoman Empire had once maintained control, and soon all of Europe was at war. This post will explore the causes of the Great War in Europe prior to the entrance of the United States.
Causes
Although the world seemed at peace in the early 1900s, a series of powerful forces were at play that would drive the world to the brink of war.
This month, we celebrate Veterans Day on 11/11. Fighting in World War I ended at 11am on November 11, 1918. To look back on this day as a day of remembrance, The Half-Pint Historian is continuing to take a look at the causes of World War I in Europe. Let's do this!
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| Soldiers in WWI; photo from www.todayifoundout.com |
As the early 1900s began, people in Europe had enjoyed nearly a century of relative peace; however, at this time, forces were pushing the continent towards the brink of war. Nationalistic feelings, a glorification of the military, imperial rivalries, and tangled alliances all led to unrest in Europe. The war was sparked in the Balkans, where the Ottoman Empire had once maintained control, and soon all of Europe was at war. This post will explore the causes of the Great War in Europe prior to the entrance of the United States.
Causes
Although the world seemed at peace in the early 1900s, a series of powerful forces were at play that would drive the world to the brink of war.
- Nationalism--a feeling of pride in, and devotion to, one's country
Nationalism is a force that can bring people together but is also a dividing force. In the 1900s, aggressive nationalism was a source of tension.
Nationalism was strong in both Germany and France. In the early 1900s, Germany was unified and was extremely proud of its growing military and industrial complexes. France, in the meantime, wanted to regain its position as a leading European power, especially after its 1871 loss in the Franco-Prussian War. Due to this loss, France lost the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine and had to pay money to Germany. This national rivalry between the two nations contributed to the growing tensions in Europe.
Nationalist movements in the diverse Ottoman Empire also led to unrest, especially in the Balkan peninsula of southeastern Europe.
Russia had encouraged a form of nationalism in Eastern Europe called Pan-Slavism. The Pan-Slavism movement tried to draw together all Slavic peoples, with Russia being the largest Slavic country. The multinational empire of Austria-Hungary opposed Slavic national movements, particularly in Serbia and Russia.
- Militarism--the glorification of military power
In the late 1800s, militarism arose in many European nations. This over-glorification of the military led to various nations engaging in arms races, particularly Britain and Germany, who created war goods such as tanks, U-boats (German submarines), machine guns, and more. The glorification of the military coupled with the arms race led to numerous European nations growing suspicious of one another and becoming increasingly willing to utilize military force against one another.
- Imperialism (and Economic Rivalry)--when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional territories under control
Prior to the outbreak of World War I, European countries vied for control of Africa and Asia due to the richness of various raw materials these continents could provide. Needless to say, tensions ran high among the European nations as they struggled against one another to control the areas and gain the raw materials they needed/wanted.
- Alliance systems--a network of agreements, treaty, and ententes
Over time, due to various reasons, various countries in Europe built up alliance systems, the point of which were to defend one another. If one country went to war, the allied country (or countries) would come to the defense of the attacked.
The alliance systems in place prior to the outbreak of the Great War were as follows: Russia and Serbia; Germany and Austria-Hungary; France and Russia; Britain and France and Belgium; and Japan and Britain.
The alliance systems are confusing, but they would play a major role in the war in Europe. Austria-Hungary would declare war on Serbia (for a reason that will be examined in the next, and final, cause); Russia would then become involved in order to defend Serbia. Seeing Russia mobilizing, Germany would declare war on Russia; France would then declare war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany would attack France through Belgium pulling Britain into the war, and because Britain was drawn into the war, Japan would enter into the war as well. Later, for reasons that will be examined in the next post, Italy and the United States would enter the war on the side of the Triple Entente (made up of Britain, Russia, and France).
- Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
If there could be one singular cause for the outbreak of a war, then the immediate cause of the war was the assassination of the Austria-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
In June 1914, a Serbian nationalist terrorist organization called the Black Hand sent assassins to kill the Archduke. Their initial attempts failed, but on June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Archduke and his wife while they were in Sarajevo, Bosnia which was a part of Austria-Hungary at the time. The assassination was in protest to Austria-Hungary having control of the area when Serbia wanted control of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The assassination led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and the alliance system kicked in to full-force, leading to the outbreak of the Great War.
The Great War in Europe would change the world and would change warfare. The war had an extremely high casualty rate--over 15 million deaths and 20 million injuries. Due to this war, modern warfare would never be the same and this war would lead to confusing alliances, economic difficulties for all of the countries involved, the Great Depression, and the Second World War. However, those all for a different post.
Next time on the blog, we'll be examining the causes for the U.S. entry into World War I. Until next time!
