World War I

Causes
Two Coalitions
Allied Powers- Central Powers-
• France, • Germany,
• UK, • Austria-Hungary,
• Russia, • Ottoman Empire and
• Japan, • Bulgaria etc.
• Italy,
• USA etc.
1. Militarism and Armament Race
• The dangerous and burdensome mechanism of great standing armies
and large navies, with the attendant evils of espionage, suspicion, fear
and hatred.
• 1870-1914 military spending increases average 300%.
• Conscription.
• Machine gun, Tanks, naval ships
• By 1900 Britain had largest and strongest navy of the world.
• Germany was challenging it
Contd.
• When Germany began to strengthen her naval power, it led to naval
competition with the British naval power and influenced other European
states as well.
• The British, launched of a new class of battleship, the HMS Dreadnought,
in 1906.
• It was a heavily armoured battleship, setting a new standard for modern
battleships.
• The Germans, anxious not to be left behind, responded in kind with the
launch of their own dreadnought battleship in 1908.
• Military strength became synonymous with national prestige and every state
began to increase her military power.
HMS Dreadnought
Contd.
• Though all this military preparation was being made from the point of
view of defence, yet it gave rise to a race for armaments which filled
the atmosphere with fear, apprehension and mutual hatred.
• The growing influence of militarism in European states affected their
internal and foreign policies.
• Now the people felt convinced that international problems could only
be solved through militarism.
• Thus militarism and race for armament divided the big countries of
Europe into two hostile and fully equipped camps.
• Now only a match was needed to spark off war.
2. Allaince/Diplomatic Treaties-
• Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy ---- Triple Alliance 1882
• France, Britain and Russia ----Triple Entente 1907
• Alliances had been formed in a bid to increase security
• It was a defensive military alliance.
• Colonies automatically become part of it.
• In 1904, Britain and France drew closer by signing the Entente
Cordiale. This was not a military alliance but a series of agreements
finally settling imperial rivalries and recognizing and agreeing to
respect each other’s spheres of colonial influence.
Contd.
• Because of this campism every member was forced to take part in
activities which were obviously of no advantage to him but were
necessary to support his friends.
• For example, Germany had no interest in the Balkans, but had to take
action in support of her friend Austria, similarly France had to support
the Balkan policy of Russia just to maintain friendship with her.
• Thus these diplomatic alliances made the world war inevitable.
Austro-Hungarian interests in the Balkans
•Austro-Hungarian ambitions to maintain and extend this
control brought it into conflict with Russia and Serbia for
influence over the region.
•Both Serbia and Russia promoted the growth of pan-Slavism.
•Austria-Hungary feared this would encourage revolt and
threaten not only Austrian interests in the Balkans, but the
very existence of the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire
which contained substantial numbers of Slavic peoples.
Serbian interests in the Balkans
• Serbia promoted the nationalistic vision of a greater Serbia in which
all Balkan Slavs would be united under Serbian rule.
• In addition, the Kingdom of Serbia had recently enlarged its territory
by 80 per cent as a result of victory in the Balkan Wars of 1912–13.
• Austria Hungary understandably saw Serbia as a threat to the
existence of its multi-ethnic empire and insisted on the creation of
Albania, a state for ethnic Albanians, which would prevent Serbia
from having access to the sea.
• Access to ports was essential for economic development as most trade
occurred with merchant vessels, so the creation of Albania not only
limited Serbia’s gains, but hindered its economic development.
Russian interests in the Balkans
• Ideological commitment to pan-Slavism was not the primary reason
for Russian interests in the Balkans.
• There were more important strategic and political reasons. An
extension of Russian influence in the Balkans would:
• provide important access for Russian merchant and warships through
the Black Sea and into the Mediterranean
• limit the territorial expansion of Russia’s main rival, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire.
3. Imperialism and Economic Competition-
• Is a policy by which country increases its power by gaining control
over new territories to create an Empire.
• The rich and industrialized countries were eager to earn more and
more money and procure markets to sell their products.
• To meet their economic needs they needed more and more colonies.
• France and Italy wanted to establish hold on Asia, Africa and east
European countries, to invest their excess wealth and to dump their
products.
• This led to a scramble for colonies.
Contd.
• By the end of the nineteenth century most of Africa had been shared
out among European states. The major portion went to England and
France.
• In the early part of the twentieth century commercial competition
between England and Germany mounted up.
• The European powers scrambled for expanding their economic and
political empire in the far east and China.
• Thus the commercial and imperialistic ambitions of the European
nations made an armed conflict inevitable.
4. Feelings of Nationalism
•The French Revolution gave birth to the spirit of nationalism
which saw a fast development after the Vienna Congress.
•This feeling was responsible for the unification of Italy and
Germany.
•Nationalism inspired creation of new nations whereas,
violent nationalism caused mutual differences among them.
•After 1871, the French demand for Alsace and Lorraine
became her national demand.
Contd.
• The Italian nationalists started an irredentist movement to get back
the territory of Trentino Trieste, which adversely affected relations
between Italy and Austria.
• Poles who were under foreign rule wanted to re-establish their own
nation.
• Balkan States like Serbia wanted that their fellow nationals who lived
in these states should come together to form a greater Balkan state.
• The feeling of nationalism made all the countries of the world eager to
clash with each other.
Summary
5. International Anarchy-
• The events that occurred after 1900 made the international atmosphere
tense.
• Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) also influenced European politics.
• Germany challenged France in Morocco and created a serious
situation in the international field.
• When Russia was thwarted from expanding her empire in the far-cast,
she began to intervene in the affairs of the Balkan states.
• This complicated the political situation there.
Contd.
• In 1911 to suppress the revolt in Fez and to safeguard the life and
property of the Europeans Iiving there, France sent her troops.
• Germany opposed this but had to bow down before the British
warning. During the crisis England supported France; this embittered
her relations with Germany.
• The Balkan wars of1912-13 also made the international atmosphere
tense. They accelerated the race for militarism and armaments.
• Grant and Temperlay write, 'No other event was so much responsible
for the world war of 1914 as the Balkan Wars.'
6. The Character of Emperor William Kaiser-
• The character of Emperor William Kaiser was also one of the causes
of the War.
• He was highly ambitious and short-tempered. His policy was
'supremacy in the world or extermination.
• He was not willing to strike a compromise in international matters.
• He considered the British policy of neutrality as her weakness.
• This misconception finally led to his destruction.
• His violent temper and imperialistic ambitions, drove Europe to the
threshold of War.
7. The Influence of Press and Means of
Communication-
• Inspired by vigorous nationalism, the press in all countries reported
many events in such a way that excited the people and made a
peaceful settlement of disputes seem impossible.
• Germans became inimical to the people of England and the relations
between France and Germany deteriorated because of press reports.
• After the murder of Archduke Francis Ferdinand newspapers in Serbia
and Austria wrote acrimonious articles against each other.
• This enraged people in both the countries.
Contd.
• The Press in Eastern and Western Europe enjoyed comparatively less
freedom than it enjoyed in England, still it played an important role in
enraging the war.
• The Press in all important countries indulged in venomous
propaganda.
9. Absence of an International Organization-
• At this time there was no international organization in Europe which
could solve disputes between various states through negotiations and
put off the imminence of war.
• Every state considered herself most affluent and turned an indifferent
eye towards international promises.
• Because of the system of secret alliances the people or the house of
representatives in a country did not know what type of agreement its
ambassadors or ministers had entered into with other countries.
Contd.
• For example, the House of Commons was not told anything about the
assurances given to France before the war started.
• Similarly, Italy, a member of the Triple Alliance, signed separate
secret treaties with France (1902) and Russia (1909) but there was no
institution whichcould mount pressure on her not to do so.
• Thus in the absence of an international organization there was no
check on any country and every country was free to do whatever it
liked whether right or wrong.
Immediate Cause of the War-
• The relations between Serbia and Austria had not been cordial since
1908 and reached their highest pitch in 1914.
• Some violent associations in Serbia planned the murder of the govenor
of Bosnia.
• At this time they learnt that Prince Ferdinand of Austria was coming
on an official visit to Bosnia, so they planned to murder him.
• The high officials of Serbia supplied arms and ammunition to these
people and arranged their entry into Bosnia.
Contd.
• When on June 28, 1914 the royal cavalcade was moving towards the
town hall in Sarajevo.
• a conspirator Gabrillo Princip fired two shots and killed Prince
Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.
• This event pushed Europe into the conflagration of war.
References:
• International Relations by Peu Ghosh
• Introduction to International Relations by Robert Jackson & Georg
Sørensen.
• International Relations by V. N. Khanna
• Perspectives on International Relations: Power, Institutions, and Ideas
by Henry R. Nau
• Modern World History by Jain and Mathur

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