Militarism And Monarchical Germany During World War I

During World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II ruled over Monarchical Germany. Wilhelm II was a strong proponent of militarism - an ideology that promotes a nation's national interests through a powerful and aggressive military. Militarism greatly influenced German society during this time; Germany's government centered around its military, with its policies being decided by what was good for the nation's military and the economy centering around the development and production of armaments. The press often depicted foreign countries as enemies of the state while honoring military leaders to regulate public opinion and influence German culture. Germany's people became intolerant of outside nations, and this attitude continued well into the 20th century.

Militarism - a philosophy that places a strong military as the backbone of society and promotes the interests of a nation through an aggressive foreign policy backed by a powerful armed force - damaged Germany and led to an uneasy relationship with neighboring countries. The damage caused to foreign relations would cause tension to rise throughout Europe, culminating in an all-out war between the major powers in place. World War I ended in disaster for Germany, leading to millions of young Germans losing their lives and the dissolution of the monarchy. Germany's military possessed most of the power in Germany leading up the World War I, surpassing Kaiser Wilhelm II's control over the country and demolishing any possibility of creating an alliance with foreign nations. The military's newfound power ushered in a naval arms race against Great Britain and increased Germany's weapons stockpile of firearms, artillery, ammunition, naval vessels, submarines, and more. The cost of strengthening the military demanded heavy funding that could be for the domestic needs of Germany. The media cynically used propaganda to demonize its political opponents and elevate the military as Germany's guardians while swaying the public into supporting militarism as necessary for the country's well-being. Nationalist sentiment spread throughout Germany via newspapers and radio communication, uniting its people under the pretense of xenophobia and hatred against those threatening Germany's prosperity. Several political parties arose during this period that shifted from the Conservative party's beliefs to a more democratic and liberal view. Some of the parties that came about during this time were the Social Democratic party, Liberal party, and Liberal Democratic party; each of the parties had its own set of ideals that segregated them from the other parties, but all had the same