What Caused The Great War Essay

Causes of the Great War World War I started on the 28th of July of 1914 when Austria declared war on Serbia following the Serbian attack on the Austrian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. There are many factors that contributed to the beginning of the Great War, also known as World War I. Some of the factors that caused the Great War were militarism, nationalism, and alliances. Through these factors the Great War created a major impact on the lives of many individuals and had one of the most significant impacts of all events in world history. Firstly, militarism had a huge role to play in the power of each country in the war. According to the Indiana Department of Education, it states, “As the world entered the 20th century, an arms race had begun. By 1914, Germany had the greatest increase in military buildup. … Further, in Germany and Russia particularly, the military establishment began to have a greater influence on public policy.” (McCormick 3). Because the military became increasingly more important and held increasingly more powerful because it exhibited a country’s power. An example of a country that shows militarism is Germany because of its expansive military. Militarism is one of the many factors that caused the Great War to take place.

Nationalism is one of the many reasons the war started because people started to feel bonded with their country, connected with other people within it, and root for the side that their country is on. One of the examples of how nationalism affected the war was, according to History Crunch, “nationalism was an important factor in why so many volunteered for the war and fought on the front lines” (Beck). Therefore, nationalism is categorized as a main cause of WWI and helped encourage people to volunteer for their country and feel more connected to their