Chapter 20: What events contributed to the First World War?

In Chapter 20 under the section “The First World War: European Civilization in Crisis, 1914-1918," Strayer writes about “An Accident Waiting to Happen," "Legacies of the Great War." For this post, I will focus on “Accident Waiting to Happen" section, specifically responding to the explanation sidebar question: “What aspects of Europe's nineteenth century history contributed to the First World War" (2016, p. 884)?

Since 1500, Western Europe was the dominant and dominating center in the global history and as Strayer mentioned "since the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, a fragile and fluctuating balance of power had generally maintained the peace among Europe's participants" (p. 884 and 885). The unification of Germany and Italy disrupted that fragile balance of power and many wars and conflicts started happening leading to the First World War. Some of those main conflicts are considered in Professor Clint Hughes' acronym "M A I N" Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism (Causes of World War I: Factors That Led to War, 2013).

Militarism

Nations such as Germany and Great Britain used their military power to prove their strength through wars.

 

Alliance

Nations were in alliance with each other and all of them together, unable to resolve their conflicts, contributed to the First World War.



Imperialism

Nations of Europe practiced imperialism and worked for dominance while they competed for the conquest of markets and materials in the world.

 

 



Nationalism

The growth of Europe's nationalistic pride - over abundance of patriotism fed by imperialism.


The crowned prince of Austria Hungary, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie, were shot by the Serbian-nationalist terrorist Gavrilo Princip and what caused a series of events that led to the World War I:

  • Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia
  • Serbia’s ally, Russia, got involved to help Serbia
  • Germany got involved to help Austria Hungary and declared war on Russia

References:

Causes of World War I: Factors That Led to War. (2013, June 23). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/causes-of-world-war-i-factors-that-led-to-war.html.

https://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/militarism/

Strayer, R. (2016). Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Bedford/St. Martin's

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