Saturday, August 17, 2019
The Causes of World War One
ââ¬ËWorld War One was the result of a series of unintended and disconnected events. ââ¬â¢ Does this opinion adequately explain the causes of World War One? It is understandable that historians ponder on what exactly caused a war that destroyed Europeââ¬â¢s economy, cost the lives of 37 million men and involved a country from every region of the world (from the Americas to Asia). The opinion this essay will discuss implies that the events that led to this major conflict were unintended and disconnected; and in order to emit a judgement that would agree or disagree with this view it is important to first identify the causes of world war one.Therefore this essay will first discuss the different types of causes (long, mid and short terms), respectively nationalism, imperialism/militarism and the ââ¬Ëblank chequeââ¬â¢. Hence this essay will evaluate whether these were ââ¬Ëdisconnected and unintended eventsââ¬â¢ or if there is a connection between the causes. The main sources used in this essay are Colesââ¬â¢ general notes on world history and historian Martin Gilbertââ¬â¢s book entitled ââ¬ËFirst World Warââ¬â¢. The long term causes prepared the ground for the war.Nationalism can be categorized into the long term causes because it had influenced Europe prior to 1914, and as French writer Guy de Maupassant argues, ââ¬Ëit is the eldest cause of any warââ¬â¢. Quite a popular phenomenon in the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th, nationalism produced pride in oneââ¬â¢s countryââ¬â¢s achievements. The world war one themes paper observed that this ââ¬Ëled to xenophobia and ideas of racial superiorityââ¬â¢; but what it fails to mention is that as much as nationalism could provide feelings of superiority it could also provide feelings of equality.For example, minorities that previously were dominated by larger powers were now swept with waves of nationalism. This could be observed in the Balkans in the prelude of th e world war; where small states were experimenting Pan-Slavism, ââ¬Ëa nationalistic movement for political and cultural solidity of all Slavic peopleââ¬â¢ thus a threat to the Austrian Empire who dominated the South Slavs.One could argue that this form of nationalism led to Franz Ferdinandââ¬â¢s assassination by an extreme Serb nationalist group, or that it was the Austrianââ¬â¢s nationalism (their pride in their achievement of an empire) that pressured them into keeping all minorities within the empire at all costs; this leading to the Austro-Hungarian ââ¬Ëimpossibleââ¬â¢ ultimatum to Serbia on the 23rd of July 1914.Nationalist mood in Europe could also be seen in France; more than 30 years after the French were defeated in the Franco-Prussian war a black cloth still veiled the statue of Strasbourg in the Place de la Concorde and it was a symbol, a constant reminder of the loss of the two eastern provinces, Alsace and Lorraine. The French still remembered the defe at and often spoke of ââ¬ËLa Revancheââ¬â¢ (the revenge).As historian Gilbert argues, ââ¬ËWar, if it came, would be an irresistible opportunity to fulfil long harboured desires or to avenge long-nurtured hatredsââ¬â¢. Historian Martin Kelly also argues that ââ¬Ëit was nationalism, that manifested itself in the pan-Slav feeling of the Russian population, that tied Russia and Serbia together whilst Austria declared war, and thereby triggering what would have been a limited local conflict into world warââ¬â¢.When the Russian tsar signed the order commanding full mobilisation of Russian troops because ââ¬ËRussia could not remain indifferent to a declaration of war on Serbiaââ¬â¢ and as the ultimate proof of the stimulating effects of Nationalism, editor Alex Bein remembered that ââ¬Ëthe Russian popular sentiment applauded the fullest possible solidarity with the beleaguered fellow Slavs of Serbiaââ¬â¢. In this particular case it is difficult to determine wh ether these events occurred under the ââ¬ËNationalismââ¬â¢ potential cause or the ââ¬ËAlliancesââ¬â¢.Without dropping into philosophical or anthropological arguments, this essay will assume that alliances themselves were generated because of nationalism, as countries really wanted to increase their power by allying themselves with other powers, which in the end is motivated by a nationalist feeling. It is often observed in general history that events sometimes only occur because they are in a specific context. ââ¬ËMid-termââ¬â¢ causes, if it the events that occurred slightly prior to the commencement of the war (between 1970 and 1914) can be labelled so, could be held responsible for creating a context specific to that time.In this case, militarism and imperialism greatly shaped the relations between the powers and consequently the political shape of pre-war Europe. Imperialism was a symbol of power that allowed the European powers to expand their overseas territor ies and therefore ââ¬Ëgain new markets, raw materials and fields of investmentââ¬â¢. The movement of ââ¬Ëthe Scramble for Africaââ¬â¢ left most of the African continent occupied by Europeans, notably colonies of Britain, France, Portugal, Spain and Belgium; Germany did have some overseas territories, but as historian Gilbert remarks ââ¬ËThe Kaiser did not make ffective use of its colonies, and owned them by name rather than by practiceââ¬â¢. This observation shows that the Kaiser attached a symbolic importance to colonies. The ambitious German king wished that his recently united Germany (the German unification had only occurred in 1971, not even half a century before the war) would possess more overseas territories. Unfortunately most of the African continent was already ââ¬Ëoccupiedââ¬â¢; leaving the Kaiser with a bitter feeling of rivalry with Britain and France.This led to the dangerous Agadir crisis, in which the Kaiser had ordered a fleet to establish a port at Agadir, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The British feared this would give the Germans an undesired strong grip in Northern Africa, and thus threatened them to respond in ââ¬Ëa hostile mannerââ¬â¢ if the German gunboat did not depart immediately. ââ¬ËThe threat was effective, but the rancour which left it was equally strongââ¬â¢, noted Gilbert. At the Reichstag, a few weeks after the event, a social democrat commented in a worried tone that tensions could lead to a war, to which a parliamentarian responded: ââ¬ËAfter every war things are better! The imperialistic tendencies of Europeans unavoidably led to tensions within Europe itself, generating mutual suspicions and fear. This could explain why the European powers felt the need to invest in the military: in the 1870s, all six major European powers had adopted compulsory military training, which resulted in some 4 ? million men under arms by 1914. Each powerââ¬â¢s General army staffs had well-drawn batt le plans in readiness: the French had ââ¬ËPlan 17ââ¬â¢, the Germans had ââ¬ËSchlieffen planââ¬â¢ and Russians had ââ¬ËPlan Aââ¬â¢. By the beginning of the conflict a total amount of $2 billion a year was spent on armament (all powers combined).It can only be logically concluded that if the powers were investing so much time and money in military they were intending to use it. Finally, it was the ââ¬Ëshort termââ¬â¢ causes led to critical events that escalated into the war. A general historical view observes that it all began when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, on the 28th of June 2014. The Italian foreign minister at the time observed that ââ¬ËThe telegram indicated that the assassination of the Archduke was the occasion rather than the cause of Austriaââ¬â¢s ultimatum to Serbia, and it reveals the reason for Austriaââ¬â¢s action [invading Serbia]ââ¬â¢.This view can also be supported by the fact that ââ¬Ëbetween 1906 and 1914 the Austrian Chief of Staff General Hotzendorf had asked more than 25 times for a ââ¬Ësurpriseââ¬â¢ war on Serbiaââ¬â¢. The Austro-Hungarians wanted to reduce Serbiaââ¬â¢s power by attacking her. When they were provided with an excuse to do so (Ferdinandââ¬â¢s assassination) ââ¬ËThey were not fully confident to attack immediately for fear of Russian retaliation,ââ¬â¢ argues Gilbert: ââ¬Ëbut the fact that they had unconditional German support if ever the conflict widened gave them confidenceââ¬â¢.It is argued that the Germans had given their full support because the Austro-Hungarians were their most precious allies, and they could not afford losing the cooperation of the other central power when they were encircled by the Triple Entente (Russia, Britain and France). Therefore, to some extent, it can be argued that it is this unconditional support that pushed Austria to declare war on Serbia, without considering the Russian factor. The main issue with identifyi ng causes of the world war is that there are several and none that can be granted full prominence because opinions vary.It is also difficult to establish a cause and effect relationship, because there is no precision and again, it is subjective. This considered, a link can still be noticed in the causes enumerated above: Nationalism made European powers want to achieve more for them, leading to prestigious and expensive colonization. Unfortunately these imperialist tendencies created conflicts between the powers, creating mutual suspicions and alliances. The tensions gave the powers a feeling of insecurity, and led way to intense militarisation which meant that the powers could be ready in a matter of weeks in the event of a war.The Germans were so prepared for a war they could afford giving their unconditional support to Austria, who then attacked Serbia, and triggered the alliance system. It is a way to explain how the causes are linked; but it is not necessarily pertinent in the sense that these events could have been simply events; they only became causes because of the war. For example, if we use counterfactual history and assume that Austria would have never attacked Serbia, perhaps the war would have broken out over Britain and Germany fighting for an access to the Suez Canal, which at that time would have been likely.Perhaps the war would have never happened if the Europeans did not see war as an acceptable method to solve conflicts: as the German parliamentarian had pointed out, ââ¬Ëafter a war all things are better! ââ¬â¢ and the view that most historians believe that actually the war ââ¬Ëhad long been in the makingââ¬â¢. As the American historical review states, ââ¬ËThere was no slide to war, no war caused by ââ¬Ëunintendedââ¬â¢ events, but instead a world war caused by a fearful set of elite statesmen and rulers making deliberate choicesââ¬â¢.Word count: 1 712Bibliography & Words cited ââ¬Å"A. J. P. Taylor. â⬠Wik ipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Aug. 2012. <http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/A. _J. _P. _Taylor>. ââ¬Å"Causes of World War 1. â⬠About. com American History. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Aug. 2012. <http://americanhistory. about. com/od/worldwari/tp/causes-of-world-war-1. htm>. Clare, John D. ââ¬Å"Causes of WWI ââ¬â Four Steps to War. â⬠Causes of WWI ââ¬â Four Steps to War. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Aug. 2012. <http://www. johndclare. net/causes_WWI4. htm>. Gilbert, Martin. ââ¬Å"Chapter 1: Prelude to War. â⬠The First World War: A Complete History. New York: H. Holt, 1994. N. pag. Print. Gilbert, Martin. ââ¬Å"Chapter 2: Wild with Joy. â⬠The First World War: A Complete History. New York: H. Holt, 1994. N. pag. Print. ââ¬Å"Nationalism. â⬠Nationalism, Patriotism and Loyalty to Causes. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Aug. 2012. <http://www. tentmaker. org/Quotes/nationalism_patriotism_quotes. html>. â⬠Summary of the Causes of WW1â⬠Moodle. isp. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Aug. 2012. <http://isparis. moodle. overnetdata. com/file. php/13/Summary_of_the_Causes_of_WW1. pdf>. World History: Notes. Toronto: Coles Pub. , 1979. Print.
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