Essay on Causes of World War l

4 long years, 10 million casualties, 20 million injured, and no winner. Sparked by the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, World War l instantaneously became deadly. This international conflict involved over 30 nations and 60 million soldiers. The two opposing forces were known as the Allied and Central Powers, containing nations from multiple continents. Out of the three major causes of World War l: alliances, growth in military forces, and imperialism, imperialism was the leading cause.  

A significant element leading to World War I was the alliances formed by different countries and powers. In 1914, the major Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and for a time, Italy. Another alliance known as the Triple Entente was the United Kingdom, France, and Russia (Doc. A). These alliances were beneficial to the progression of the war because of the countries’ close proximity. After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, countries began to point fingers and blame one another for the incident prior (Doc. B). Because of the loyalty promised to the allied countries, this killing became personal to the nations involved. Without alliance obligations, the results of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand might have stayed local to Europe, instead of commencing a world war. 

In addition to alliances, another substantial cause of World War l was the growth in military forces. In the year 1890, Germany spent around 30 million £ on Naval and Army Armaments. In just 24 years, that number went to 110 million £, almost quadrupling in size (Doc. C). By means of growth in military forces, it is clear that Germany towered over other countries. In 1899, German Chancellor, Bernhard von Bülow, stated that “there is no welfare for us (Germany) without power, without a strong army and a strong fleet” (Doc. D). This mindset of obtaining power through military force is an obvious cause of the armament growth in the European militia. Because of clear advancements in military weaponry, the need and use for armaments increased, therefore being an evident cause of World War I.

Although alliances and military growth were relevant causes of WWI, the driving force was imperialism. By the late 19th century, Europe took control of most of the planet. In 1913, Britain controlled more than 12 million square miles of overseas territory. Coming in second place to Britain was France with over 4 million square miles of colonies (Doc. F). This alliance became powerful and well-known for its colonial status. In fact, Germany saw England as a great threat and referred to them as “England Der Blutsauger de Welt”, meaning England, the bloodsucker of the world (Doc. E). Because Britain and France’s colonialism showed their dominance and power, it is clear that Imperialism was an effective and powerful strategy in World War I. Imperialism is the most prominent cause of World War I because it gave nations power and allowed them to control other parts of the world. Because of certain nations having undeniable dominance over one another in the colonization process, it caused tension between nations and eventually leading to World War I. 

In conclusion, many factors did lead to the first World War, including alliances, military growth, and imperialism. It is clear that imperialism had the most effect on the world and its commencing of World War I. The feeling of nationalism and pride in one’s country was a major part of the act of colonialism. During the 4 years of World War I, many lives were lost as a result of greed and the obsessive need for power, including nations using imperialism to gain power.