World War I happened between July 1914 and November eleven, 1918. By the conclusion of the war, more than seventeen million folks was murdered, which includes more than 100,000 American soldiers. While the sources of the war are infinitely much more complex than a timeline of events, plus continue to be debated and also talked about to this particular day, the list below provides an introduction of the most frequently-cited situations which led to war.
Mutual Defense Alliances
With time, countries throughout Europe generated mutual defense agreements that could drag them into battle. These treaties meant that in case one nation was attacked, allied nations have been sure to protect them. Before World War one, the following alliances existed:
Serbia and Russia
Austria-Hungary and Germany
Russia and France
Britain and Belgium and France
Britain and Japan
Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russian federation got involved defending Serbia. Germany seeing Russian federation mobilizing, declared war on Russian federation. France was then pulled in against Austria-Hungary and Germany. Germany attacked France through Belgium taking Britain into battle. Then Japan moved into the battle. Later, Italy and also the Country would make their way in to on the sides of their friends.
Imperialism
Imperialism happens when a nation increases their wealth and power by bringing extra territories under the control of theirs. Before World War I, Parts and Africa and Asia were areas of contention of all the European nations. Due to the raw materials these places might supply, tensions around these locations ran high. The increasing desire and competition for bigger empires resulted in an increased conflict which really helped drive the planet into World War I.
Militarism
As the planet entered the twentieth century, an arms race had started. By 1914, Germany had the greatest expansion in arms buildup. Great Germany and Britain all dramatically improved their navies in this period of time. Additionally, in Russia and Germany especially, the military establishment started having a much better impact on public policy. This increased militarism helped drive the nations concerned into war.
Nationalism
Very much of the foundation of the war was based upon the motivation of the Slavic individuals in Herzegovina and Bosnia to not be a part of Austria Hungary but rather be a part of Serbia. This way, nationalism led straight to the War. But more generally, nationalism in different places throughout Europe contributed not just with the start but the extension of the battle in Europe. Each nation attempted to confirm their power and dominance.
Immediate Cause: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The primary cause of World War I which made the above mentioned factors come into play (alliances, militarism, imperialism, nationalism) was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Hungary. In June 1914, a Serbian nationalist terrorist group called the Black Hand decided to assassinate the Archduke. Their very first attempt failed when a driver stayed away from a grenade thrown at the car of theirs. Nevertheless, later on that morning a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated him as well as the wife of his even though they had been in Sarajevo, Bosnia that had been a part of Austria Hungary. This was in protest to Austria Hungary having command of this particular area. Serbia needed to dominate Herzegovina and Bosnia. This assassination resulted in Austria Hungary declaring war on Serbia. When tsarists Russian began mobilizing on account of its alliance with Serbia, war on tsarists Russian was declared by Germany. Thus started the development of the war to incorporate all those active in the mutual defense alliances.
The War to End All Wars World War I watched a difference in warfare, from the hand-to-hand design of more mature wars to the addition of weapons that used technology and removed a person from close combat. The war had really high casualties more than fifteen million as well as twenty million injured. The face of warfare wouldn’t be precisely the same again.