World War I

The first World War did not just happen overnight, it had been building up for years. One long term cause was Nationalism. Strong competition had developed among France, Britain, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany, especially after the unification of Germany, under Bismark, in 1871. There was also uneasiness within countries. For example, the Czechs and Slovaks wanted to be free from Austro-Hungarian control. Imperialism also lead to World War I. Many nations were in heavy competition for colonies and markets through out the world. For instance, France and Germany fought over Morocco, and several other places were the target for imperialism, the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. An alliance system had developed and cause friction between the two groups. The system was made in an effort to have a balance of power. The two groups of nations were organized of the countries who had common enemies. Basically, an enemy of my enemy is my friend. One group was the Triple Alliance, which consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The other group was the Triple Entente, which was made up of France, Russia, and Great Britain. (and would later include the United States.) Militarism had its effect on the outbreak of war also. Militaries grew constantly in the 1900s, which lead to a feeling of superiority and fear in other countries. Germany, for example, tripled naval construction in order to challenge Britain’s control of the seas. With all this going on in the world, it was only a matter of time before something happened. All these long term causes needed was a spark to send them over the edge and into war. That spark happened on June 28, 1914. In Bosnia, Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated by a young nationalist. The young man belonged to a group that wanted Bosnia to be joined with the independent nation of Serbia. Few thought this act could start a world war, but it was the straw that broke the camels back.(cliché I know..) During this time the...