Causes of World War 1 - Desklib

Running head: CAUSES OF WORLD WAR 1
Causes of World War 1
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CAUSES OF WORLD WAR 1
On June 27, 1914, the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand was
assassinated along with her wife. Even after hundred years of this unfortunate event, it has been
regarded as an immediate and prominent reason behind the World War 1. It is popularly known
that Franz Ferdinand was killed in Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist. Exactly after a month
Austria-Hungary waged war upon Serbia. However, the reason behind the Great War cannot be
this single incident. It can be said that the incident was the necessary spark upon the multiple
factors that can be considered as burning issues of that time. The discussion will hence focus on
the multiple factors that had aggravated the agitation and accelerated the initiation of war.
It has been considered by the historians that the rise of nationalism is one of the primary
causes behind the Great War. Historians have pointed out that during that time the nationalist
groups present both in Austria-Hungary and Serbia were greedy for their independence. In this
regard, the desires for independence of the Slavic people of Bosnia and Herzegovina is to be
considered as of having great significance. It has been noticed that during that time the Slavic
community were showing their unrest regarding their independence. These people were no more
willing to be a part of Austria Hungary. They wanted to be part of Serbia instead. This had
directly created a turmoil amongst the European society (Desai, 2013). It has been notice that
Serbia was supporting the demands of these Slavic people whereas Austria Hungary tried to
suppress the demand. The incident of assassination of Franz Ferdinand can be regarded as
significant in this regard, as it have shown the stronger possibilities of revolt from the Slavic
people of the country. The incident was an indication of their rising power and their capability to
defy the norms and rules of the Austrian government.
Another significant factor that has accelerated the war is the rising imperialism. During
this time the European countries were deeply engaged in widening their territory. It has been

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CAUSES OF WORLD WAR 1
widely known that during that time, major parts of Africa and parts of Asia were under the rule
of multiple European countries. Not only that, this high aim of extending their territory had
eventually gave out ways of competition amongst the countries. England, Germany, France and
Denmark were some of the most prominent names in this competitions (Strachan, 2014).
Historians have pointed out that the increasing competition of claiming the vast raw materials
and natural resources present in the African and Asian countries are the major reasons behind the
Great War.
Another important factor that can be regarded as another important cause behind the
Great War is the rise of militarism. Historians have rightly noticed that along with the advent of
20th century, the major powers were involved in the race of increasing their arms. Eventually this
led to showing the obtained powers and engaging in rivalry (Joll & Martel, 2013). It can be
noticed that at that time, the Great Britain as well as Germany have extended their navies
significantly. As pointed out many of the prominent socialists and historians, this rising
militarism was one of the most prominent causes of the World War 1.
However, in this context it is noticeable that the United States remained neutral at the
initial stages of the war. At the very onset of the war, the US government declared their
neutrality. Historians claimed that in the initial stages of the war, America did not feel threatened
by the chain of events that was taking place (Yapp, 2014). Moreover, the United States aimed at
maintaining its trade alliance with both the Central Powers and the Entente Powers. Hence, the
country aimed at maintaining a diplomatic approach towards the war by not getting directly
involved in it.