I seek to explain the onset of World War I, World War II Europe, and World War II Pacific by using a systemic level of analysis, particularly dynamic differentials theory. Dynamic Differentials Theory states that war is likely when a dominant power is facing deep and inevitable decline. These dominant powers are more likely to wage war against another power because they suspect their own power is fleeting and want to prevent their decline by any means necessary. This theory also states that war is only likely in a multipolar system when the declining state has substantially more military power than the others, and will only declare war when the declining power believes its military strength has reached its peak.
WORLD WAR I: Germany waged World War I in 1914 due to their increasing fear of the rise of Russia. Russia had a much greater potential power than Germany due to their sizeable land mass and increasingly industrialized economy. While Germany was widely regarded as the predominant military state in Europe, by 1917, Russia would overtake them. Russia’s future intentions were unclear, and Germany preferred major war instead of a dominant state of immense size and power. Therefore, in 1912, Germany began preparations to enact major war that could (hopefully) be blamed on Russia. Considering Russia would have completed its military armament and railroads by 1917, Germany realized they needed to strike sooner rather than later – they needed to maximize their own