According to the Treaty of Versailles, World War I (then referred to as The Great War) was caused "by the aggression of Germany and her allies." But the reality was that there were many factors that led up to WWI. Four of the major causes included economic rivalries between various countries, disputes within European and American colonies, conflicting alliance systems and nationalism.
Economic Rivalries Between European Countries
Up until the late 19th Century Great Britain was the world's leading industrial power. However, by the late 1800s Germany had caught up, going through rapid industrialization at that time. This presented new competition for Great Britain, especially in overseas markets. Both countries built up strong navies to protect their shipping and trade routes.
Colonial Disputes
Great Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium all had well established colonies by the end of the 1800s. Even the United States, a country still in its infancy at that time, had overseas colonies. However, it wasn't until the Unification of Germany in 1871 that Germans began to colonize. To compensate for their late start in colonization, Germans were very aggressive in their demands for an empire that would match their rapidly expanding economic growth. After all, several tiny countries, such as Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands had vast overseas colonies. However, Germany was increasingly thwarted in its attempt to establish colonies, mainly by Great Britain. By the early 1900s, there were a number of growing conflicts between European powers over colonies:
- Great Britain and Germany were fighting over East and Southwest Africa
- Great Britain and France were fighting over Siam and the Nile Valley
- Great Britain and Russia were fighting over Persia and Afghanistan
- Germany and France were fighting over Morocco and West Africa
European Alliance Systems
These colonial rivalries withering Europe evolved into a complex set of alliance systems that would be an integral cause of WWI. Beginning in 1879, the Chancellor of Germany, Otto Von Bismarck allied Germany with Austria- Hungary to protect Germany from France, who wanted Alsace-Lorraine along the French-German border. In return, Germany would help protect Austria-Hungary from Russia over the Balkans. IN 1882 this dual alliance turned into a Triple Alliance when Italy joined, agreeing to protect Germany and Austria Hungary against France over Tunis. While these three powers sought to maintain a status quo, the rest of Europe saw the situation very differently.
In response to the Triple Alliance, France and Russia formed their own alliance in 1894, with the dual purpose of protecting themselves against the Triple Alliance and resisting Great Britain in ever present colonial disputes. However by 1907 Great Britain had joined with them, forming the Triple Entente. The alliances quickly blew even minor problems out of proportion, since everyone felt obligated to "take sides."
Nationalism and World War I
The National movement spread throughout Europe during the 19th Century. This rising need to establish a national identity, led European minorities to clamor for independence. The French speaking citizens of Alsace-Lorraine wanted freedom from German rule. With the fading Hapsburg Empire, the Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Croats and Serbs all wanted their own nation. However, behind groups like Serbia, was Russia, urging them to fight the Hapsburg government. The nationalist movement came to head on June 28, 1914, when a Bosnian Serb student, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo, the capital of the newly acquired Province of Bosnia. In most historical timelines, this is the event that started World War I, but in reality it was the climax of several causes that had been building for nearly 100 years.
Sources:
May, Arthur J. A History of Civilization. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1964.
Stavrianos, L.S.. The World Since 1500. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1966.
Lorri Brown - I am a published freelance writer living in the beautiful foothills of Western Maine. Mom to four wonderful children, my passion for ...
