Austria declared war on Serbia, which provoked Russia to help the Serbians, which led to Germany declaring war on Russia and France, which triggered England to declare war on Germany. Hostilities promulgated to the European colonies in Africa, Asia and the Middle East as many other nations joined in the conflict. Another factor contributing to World War I was the economic competition and conflicts erupting from power struggles over the colonial empires that had been building up through the last decade. Britain and Germany were in a power struggle after the Industrial Revolution to ensure raw materials were utilized and produced for their particular needs. Many people in the region surmised it was only a matter of time before the two major powers had expanding confrontations regarding these raw materials and workers themselves.
Hitler used propaganda, elimination of the opposition, and a cult of personality to gain the support and trust of the German people in a time of economic crisis to his benefit and the rest of the world's loss. Single party states arise from a crisis, and Germany was suffering from a very large one at that time. The end of World War I in 1918 had left the economic state in shambles, and the loss struck the German people hard. Furthermore, the Treaty of Versailles the following year resulted in the demilitarisation and many cuts from German land and territory. Hitler criticized the carving up of Europe by the "Big Four" (the US, UK, France and Italy), stating that the Germans were the "master race".
Great Britain, France, and Russia all formed the Allies while Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Italy formed the Central Powers. The position of Germany might have led to an early declaration of was because it was surrounded by the allied powers. Nationalism and extreme patriotism towards the country was also a reason for the outbreak of the war. This over-confidence gave birth to a fatal misconception: that in the event of war in Europe, one’s own country would be victorious
The long-term factors that would have built tension and rivalries throughout Europe are the alliance systems and the arms race, whereas the short term factors would be the mismanaged crisis, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, which was ultimately the trigger of total war. The Balkan crisis 1908 -12 both increased the likelihood of war. As there had been tensions growing since 1912 between the Serbians and the Austro- Hungarians after their attempt to secure control. These tensions were inevitably going to cause a war; as in the words of Otto Von Bisamrck, quoted at the time, a war was going to brake out due to “some damn fool in the Balkans.” The first Balkan crisis of 1912 didn’t break out into war, however it left tensions high. As Serbia’s confidence was now at its peak, as there sized had doubled, and the army had increased to 400,000, so if the were now confronted by the Austro- Hungarians they were now willing to fight.
These treaties were the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. The Triple Alliance was a treaty signed in 1882 by Germany, Austria–Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente was a treaty signed France, Russia and Britain in 1907. Other factors included the arms race, imperialism and nationalism but all involved the Alliance System. The final catalyst was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife (Archduke Franz Ferdinand). Princip belonged to a group called the Black Hand, who wanted Serbia to be independent from Austria Hungary. Austria Hungary demanded Serbia to punish those responsible for the assassination. When Serbia failed to comply, Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia. Since Serbia was an ally of the Allied Powers, the Allied Powers declared
A huge sum of money was being taken out of the German economy, which made it extremely difficult for Germany to compete in the trade market. This created a huge dent in the German economy and angered German citizens as they knew that they were sending huge amounts of money to the Allies. As a result of this term, there was little money left to spend on the remains of the German Military which was another hard blow. This term of the treaty was not fair at all when Germany’s existing losses are taken into account, and it really made Germany suffer during tough times. The treaty would have been far more reasonable had the reparations been made smaller.
During the 20th century, the Germans faced an appalling economic depression and during that time, the people lost trust in their government, and taking advantage of this opportunity, Hitler rose to power. Germany became secluded, and to the German people, Hitler was their ultimate savior. In a matter of years, Hitler rapidly rose to power and boosted the economy. Hitler and his Nazi party rise to power was one of chance and circumstance. His alternative views struck chord with the people; he was able to channel Germany’s disgust for the Weimar Republic, Treaty of Versailles and minority groups into support for his National socialist Party.
Winston Churchill in early 1914 said Europe was an “exceptional tranquillity” the First World War was declared in 1914 when Germany and their ally Austria-Hungary announced war on; Belgium, France, Britain and Russia also known as the ‘Triple Entente’ drawing each respective empires from across the world against the ‘Central Powers’. Many people blame Germany for the outbreak of the war, but how accountable are they? This essay will investigate how far Germany can be blamed for the war spanning 4 years from 1914-1918 claiming approximately 10 million peoples lives and leaving long lasting bitterness in Europe for years to come. Germany could be blamed for the First World War, as it had ambition that out-weighed the capability of what the world could provide and the expectation of a brand new ruthless leader in Kaiser Wilhelm II. This in addition to the point that Germany had just been through an industrialisation stage and was trying establish itself as a world power lead to the First World War as this ambition lead to other countries becoming threatened.
Causes of WW 11 Who, or what was to blame in causing WW 11? The Versailles Treaties have been blamed for fillnig the Germans with bitterness and the desire for revenge. The League of Nations has been for failing to secure general disarmament and collective security. The Great Depression has been mentioned because without it Hitler would never have come to power. While these factors created tension, something more was needed to create the war.