Causes of the First World War

Introduction

• The First World War is marked by senseless slaughter.
• Unlike WWII, it didn't have a moral vindication or a single belligerent.
• Resulted from a delicate balance of structural forces ignited by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
• The MAIN acronym (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism) is used to analyze the war.

Militarism

• Late 19th-century Europe saw intense military competition.
• Countries built stronger militaries relative to neighbors.
• Cultural belief that war benefits nations.
• Germany expanded its navy, though British naval superiority was never threatened.
• Governments underestimated the scale of European war.

Alliances

• Two main alliances: Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and Triple Entente (France, Britain, Russia).
• Alliances formed between 1870 and 1914, creating two camps.
• Austria-Hungary vs. Russia: conflict over Balkan interests.
• France's suspicion of Germany, rooted in the 1870 war defeat.
• Bismarck's strategy involved balancing power within Europe.

Imperialism

• Imperial competition pushed countries towards alliances.
• Colonies were used as units of exchange.
• Example: Russo-Japanese War influenced the formation of the Triple Entente.
• Resentment in Germany due to British and French empire expansion.
• Pre-war German rhetoric didn't support the idea of a European empire.

Nationalism

• New, powerful source of tension, linked to militarism.
• Nationalism clashed with imperial interests.
• Habsburg Empire was a mix of nationalities, with tensions in Slavic areas.
• Serbian nationalism led to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
• Gavrilo Princip, member of the Black Hand Gang, was the assassin.

The July Crisis

• Ferdinand's assassination led to the July Crisis.
• A month of miscalculations resulted in a domino effect of war declarations.

Historical Dialogue and Blame

• Biases affect historical dialogue on the war's causes.
• The War Guilt Clause attributed vague expansion aims to Germany.
• Blame has shifted among all combatants.
• Schlieffen Plan blamed for British involvement, Russia blamed for mobilization.
• The alliance network and belief that war is beneficial were decisive.

Conclusion

• The war's inevitability is debatable.
• Pre-1914 belief in glorious war was strong but died by the war's end.