Why Did Britain Enter The First World War

The First World War, also known as The Great War, was the deadliest event in European history, certainly since the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th century. Over the course of four years, Britain suffered over two million casualties, and several other European countries each lost millions as well. Though a pivotal and grim moment in history, the First World War was not a complete disaster for Britain. In order to fully understand what made The Great War so significant, we must examine the reasons Britain entered the war, key decisions made during the war, and the effects of the war on Britain and the world.

At the start of the 20th century, Britain was one of the most powerful nations in the world. The United Kingdom of Great Britain at that time

His ideas are logically sound but emotionally biased in some ways, which may not altogether be unwarranted as most Britons at the time viewed the war from a very emotional-based perspective. However, while Britain was apt to charge a defeated Germany, Keynes relies on a more merciful basis to claim that the Treaty was ineffective. Keynes writes about the economic situation following the war and how the victors decided to act towards those countries that were defeated. President Woodrow Wilson, who represented the United States in the conference following the war, was more interested in creating a system for world peace rather than only focusing on what Germany may or may not owe as a result of the war. The President did not win much support in this way, as “apparent generosity” was misconstrued by some of his opposition as “being ‘pro-German’,” (Keynes, 2012, p. 26). Therefore, the Treaty of Versailles was not at all lenient or generous towards the Germans. Keynes describes the costs of the Treaty in great detail, but there is some bias in his arguments. He often describes the reparations in moral terms, whether an “act of gross unfairness and infidelity” or in that a “prudent and honorable statesman” would have decided differently, (Keynes, 2012, p.

One of the main goals Britain sought was the curtailing of Germany’s extensive growth over the past several decades. This growth was resulting in pressure and competition for Britain, and the Treaty of Versailles made it likely that Germany would not have the means to threaten Britain or any other country. Before the war, Britain was a global empire. Colonies across the world were owned and managed by Britain, while numerous countries engaged in trade with them as well. There was relative decline and some social discord during the onset of the 20th century, but Britain remained very influential in Europe overall. During the war, many people lost their lives, through volunteering or enlistment in the armed forces, battling the militaries of other nations for a complicated cause. The war ended with just as much complexity. Bringing a new age of peace required careful consideration of reparations due as well as what steps could be taken to prevent future conflict. Perhaps these issues were not handled in the best way possible, but the future has the opportunity to look back and judge those who already made their choices. When stepping into the mindset of a person in this time, whether German or British, civilian or officer, there seems a pervading sense of patriotism which lent itself to The Great War as well as its