The fact that the September Programme detailed territories in Northern France, Belgium and buffer states between them and Russia (such as Poland) very much show that Germany’s expansionist aims would cause a general European war. Fischer also found later on in Riezler’s diary entries (Bethmann Hollweg’s advisor) the word ‘Kriegswilligkeit’ which translates to willingness for war appears on several occasions. Even Source 3 that argues for shared guilt still shows that German was still heavily involved, because although James Joll argues that von Tirpitz hoped Germany’s naval forces would be so strong that ‘no British government would risk going to war’, it doesn’t mention the War Council meeting of 1912. At this meeting von Tirpitz claimed that it
The four nationalism trigger World War One respectively are French’s revenge movement, Pan-Germanism, Pan-Slavism and Great Serbian movement. French desired to take revenge on Germany after the Franco-Prussian War and take back the territories; Germany and Austria-Hungary promoted “Pan-Germanism”, which suggested that German-speaking people should expand into Europe under their leadership; Russia aimed at placing all Slavs in Eastern and Southern Europe under its control; Serbia wanted to expand her new territories in Balkan. This four nationalism finally led to the outbreak of the World War One. For French’s revenge movement, while the Franco-Prussian War end, German victory and build up their state in the Versailles palace, French need to pay a large amount of reparations for being the lose one, also French coped cede Alsace-Lorraine to German, it is a land that amount a lot of resources, French attach importance to this land and sense of humiliation full in French feeling. At this time, the French have chance
To fully analyze the causes of tension which became the Cold War and role of the United States one must go the countries’ origins. Russia had a system of expansionism inherent within its history. From 1500-1800, Russia began to demonstrate expansionist tendencies (Gascoigne 1). This characteristic would spawn similar actions after the Second World War, when a war torn Europe lay bare and defenseless before the Iron Curtain. During the First World War, Russia initially sided with the Allies until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918.
On 31 July 1914, Austria- Hungary declared war on Serbia. At this point, the alliances came into play. Russia mobilised its army ready to help the Serbs against Austria - Hungary. Everyone knew that if Russia attacked Austria -
On July 29,1914, Russia announced that to keep its ally, Serbia, they would order a full mobilization of its militants. From August first to August third Germany declared war on Russia due to a treaty with Austria-Hungary; and Germany declared war on France, which was Russia’s ally. From there on, more countries joined to keep alliances. By the end of the war, more than 30 nations had joined World War 1. A key player was Germany.
'Nationalism In Balkans' was the greatest cause of world war one how valid is this assertion Nationalism was the greatest cause of world war one as evidenced by the tension in the Balkans which resulted in chaos in Europe as argued in this essay. The conflicts in the Balkans drew Germany and Russia on the conflict map as they were allies to different diverse systems in the Balkan region. Nevertheless it can notably argued that the alliance system,naval race and the Moroccan crisis also led to the outbreak of world war one .In the first place, both governments believed their prestige and credibility were on the line, not only in the international community, but at home. For the Austrians, a personal attack on the royal family required a strong response, especially if it involved Serbs, who had defied the Dual Monarchy during the Pig War, been labelled as traitors during the Friedjung Trial, and recently destroyed south-eastern Europe's other dynastic empire (the Ottomans). Failure to act in the summer of 1914 invited greater turmoil later.
France longed to avenge its defeat in Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck signed treaties with other powered thinking they wouldn’t attack Germany alone. Emerged to triple alliance with Italy and Austria-Hungary. In 1914, Germany, Austria-Hungary fought on same side- became known as central powers. Rival bloc took shape when France and Russia formed alliance by signing an entente (nonbinding agreement to follow common policies led to close military and diplomatic ties). Britain signed similar agreement with Russia.
That why it is the first cause that might have caused the Great War . The Second cause that might have caused the Great War is the alliance system. There were two main alliances, the first alliance is the Triple Alliance with Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. The second alliance is called Triple Entente with France, Russia and Britain. When the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand happen, Russia who is part of the Triple Entente who steps in and helps out Serbia, and Germany who helped Austria-Hungary who is part of the Triple Alliance.
Schlieffen Plan 1.) It was the German war strategy for the First World War, developed by a man named Schlieffen. Since Germany had to fight a two-front war (east with Russia and west with France&others), the plan was to quickly defeat the French in the west using Germany’s superior firepower, and then turn their troops to concentrate their efforts against Russia. This eventually failed because the French turned out to be tougher than the Germans thought and the Russians mobilized their troops relatively quickly. The result was elongated two-front warfare.
At the outbreak of World War I, following the July Crisis, in 1914, Germany found itself in what military planners had feared for decades before; a two front war. Germany had entered the First World War facing the vast Russian Empire to the east and the French Republic to the west. However, this had not come as a surprise to the German military staff. Decades prior to the Great War, the German high command had been preparing for such circumstances and developed plans to swiftly take out one enemy in order to focus on fighting the other. After years of planning German military Chief of Staff Alfred von Schlieffen created a war plan that would make Germany victorious in the coming war.