The direct cause of WWI was the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. However, historians feel that some factors contributed to the rivalry between the Great Powers that allowed war on such a wide-scale to break out. Before 1914 Europe 's leading powers were divided into two armed camps by a series of alliances. The Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (1882) The Triple Entente of Britain, Russia, and France (1907) Although these alliances were defensive in nature, they meant that any conflict between one country from each alliance was bound to involve the other countries. The fact that Germany faced a war on two fronts greatly influenced war. As so many men flocked the recruiting station. So many people lost their lives in that war and all for what? A grudge, miscommunication, a downright dumb thought? When machine guns came out, mad men took so many lives with a flick of their finger. It wasn’t right, people who did nothing wrong reduced to dead bodies riddled with bullet holes. 18.5 million people were behind barbed wires, chained and shot if they disobeyed. There were so many camps all over holding people captive for what? …show more content…
So many people had a grudge against Germany. The war began in the Balkans in late July 1914 and ended in November 1918, leaving 17 million dead, and 20 million wounded. There were things America could have done to prevent that much war, but the base war (against Germany), was inevitable. Germany has been blamed because it invaded Belgium in August 1914 when Britain had promised to protect Belgium. However, the street celebrations that accompanied the British and French declaration of