What Factors Cause Ww1

August 4, 1914. Great Britain declares war on Germany. Peace in Europe ends and the Great war begins. The unexpected war between European powers lasted for years, resulting in millions of casualties. The seemingly small conflict between two countries in Europe quickly escalated to a global war, later involving the United States and Japan. The leading factors that caused World War I included nationalism, the alliance system, and militarism. World War I introduced the idea of independence and the belief in a nation’s supremacy. European powers were also divided into two rival military groups that escalated conflict by involving all allies in disputes. Throughout the war, the military continued to grow, altering the balance of European dominance.

Many different races and religious groups such as the Croaks, Turks, and Serbs wanted freedom from their imperial masters. This mindset caused conflict throughout Eastern Europe. For example, slavic groups wanted independence in the Balkans. Austria Hungary, especially opposed Serbian expansion and their freedom. The nationalists of Serbia fought back,“these groups hoped to drive Austria-Hungary from the Balkans and establish a ‘Greater Serbia’...it was this pan-Slavic nationalism that inspired the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand” (NCWW). This quote demonstrates the drastic effects of nationalism. The belief that slavic people could have their own nation fueled the event that led directly to the outbreak of World War I. Violent actions were taken to promote Serbia’s freedom and contributed to the conflict between countries. Nationalism allowed Serbia to believe that they were culturally and economically supreme, giving them the option to pursue the idea of independence. Austria Hungary was willing to fight against their ideas, aiding the start of World War I. In addition to this, nationalism was the foundation to many

Nations were dominated by military leaders. Major European powers increased their expenditure of armaments in order to secure a superior rank and to protect their nations. There was an accelerated arms race between nations. For instance, according to the graph, The Growth in Armaments, 1890-1914, Germany spent about 30 million pounds in 1890 and 110 million pounds in 1914 on their Navy and Army. Germany increased its military spending at the fastest rate, however Great Britain rapidly increased as well. Great Britain spent about 32 million pounds in 1890 and 78 million pounds in 1914. This evidence demonstrates Europe's rapidly growing military. European governments increased their military expenditure by purchasing advanced weapons, and growing their military. Compared to the other nations, Germany spent the most on their military, resulting in other European powers raising their military expenditure to counteract any attempts from Germany. Weaponized countries were more likely to attack and nations felt threatened. Furthermore, failing to maintain armies were seen as weak. In order to remain the most dominant power, militarism caused nations to compete with each other and raise military spendings. This growth created an atmosphere where war and violence was the best way to settle