Causes of Wwi

Causes of the First World War

The twentieth century was a time period characterized by conflicting ideologies and much international disagreement.   The twentieth century has spawned many unforgettable wars such as: World War One, World War Two, Korean War, Vietnam, and Operation Desert storm. For the purpose of this paper we will focus on the First World War. The genesis of WWI has been debated and there are many different interpretations especially from what side you hear it from. A very common quote that many historians find accurate and insightful about the leadership and their decisions is "They made them in fear and in trembling, but they made them nonetheless" (Stoessinger 2). Historians look back at the European leadership that made critical decisions following the death of Franz Ferdinand that initiated the Great War.
It is believed that the Great War was triggered by the German vow to support an Austrian position on Serbia. According to historian John G. Stoessinger, news of the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie's death greatly disturbed Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had a deep personal relationship with Archduke. Kaiser Wilhelm assured Austria that they would be able to count on Germany's support' even if the punitive action Austria was planning to take against Serbia would bring them into conflict with Russia. This promise issued by Kaiser basically opened the doors for Austria, it gave them the fuel they needed to move on Serbia. The promises made to Austria by Kaiser were not made of sound logic, but instead were drenched in emotion, over the deaths of The Archduke and his wife. Stoessinger once said “under any circumstances demonstrated an extraordinary confusion of personal ethics and political judgment,” yet other historians argue that Kaiser was motivated not only by grief but that he wanted a war, he wanted an excuse to flex his military power. Like any historic event there have been and will always be dissenting arguments.   A German historian...