Essay 3.

• Essay Question - Causes of WWI: Examine long and short term causes of one 20th century war.
• • 1914-18 - international war (European powers/respective empires.)
• • Major powers - AH + Germany against, Triple Entente - Br + Fr + Russia.
• • Cause - traced to nationalism/imperialism built up, manifesting in alliances/militaristic actions.
• • Nationalistic imperialism within Europe for territorial/economic dominance paved way for war.
  • Climate of new Imperialism underscored rise of Br/Fr, dominated colonial expansion.
• • Dominant powers amassed empires = competition amongst minor powers Ge/It seek own.
• • Germany = new state after 1871 unification, felt threatened by established powers Br/Fr
  • Kaiser’s 1890 Weltpolitik imperialist foreign policy = Germany a global power.
  • Imperialistic competition = created tension between old/ new guard who threatened shifting balance of power.
  • Br’s economic dominance, threatened by German dominance in export market with steel production 330% more than Br’s 1890-1913.
• • “Us versus them” mentality, Br/Fr defensive, Ge wary of perceived aggression. 
• • Sustained environment of competition for economic/territorial dominance made powers more inclined towards militarism/alliances, seen Bismark’s alliance system 1870s to create a bloc with AH, Ru, and It. (imperialistic conflict = source of conflict.)
• • Seeds of imperialism were sown by major powers Br/Fr/imperialistic competition accelerated rise of militarism/ breakdown of diplomacy into war. 
• • Imperialist conflicts made dissatisfied Ge/Ru inclined to warfare to assert dominance. 
• • Ge =  wary of encirclement by perceived aggression by Fr/Ru.
• • Impact of imperialism = Britain’s declaration of war 4 August 1914 = 25% world into war due empire.
  • Scale of war expanded by culture of imperialism, driving force for tensions = fought opportunities to expand global influence.
• • Undercurrent of aggressive militarism in Europe/Balkans further built up to WWI.
  • Militarism manifested in increasing armaments, navy’s increasing 200% 1900-1914.
  • Conscription increased with Fr introducing 3 year national service law 1913.
  • Ru built up a 1.3 million strong army. (climate of war-mongering where countries had increased confidence to mobilise war/escalated AH/Serb conflict.)
• • Increased investment in military strength = Ge 1.9 million army = expansionist motives of Weltpolitik foreign policy, but defend insecurities.
• • Ge/Br = militaristic rivalry, fuelling tensions between established vs new powers. 
  • Anglo-German Naval Race = tensions with Kaiser, large shipbuilding initiatives 1898-1900
  • Br launching Dreadnought 1906
  • Ge’s heavy investment in building naval power reflects challenges of status quo
  • Immediate consequences intensified AH/Serb = catalysed war.
• Balkan nationalism saw Serb calling for Slavic unity, countering imperialist interests of AH.
• • Serb militarism = army double, victory Balkan War 1912, intensifying fear of surpassing.
• • AH’s perceived threat triggered aggression = mobilise 29 June 1914.
• • Militarism built up a climate conductive to hostilities between major powers.
• • Manifestation of imperialism/short-term crises created alliances precipitating explosion
  • Europe’s alliance system = founded on premise of mutual protection
  • Increasingly a web of alliances degenerated into instruments of aggression (nationalistic imperialism motivating short term alliance)
• • 1904 Anglo-French Entente Cordiale, 1907 Anglo-Russian Convention shows pragmatic alliances = goal of protecting status quo.
• • Defensive pacts of mutual protection shared interests = divide between old and new powers.
  • Impacted 1905 Moroccan crisis - Br backed Fr in resisting German influence in Morocco + 1911 Agadir Crisis - Br foiled German intentions.
• • Trend of proxy conflicts - early 1900s built up atmosphere of war reinforcing alliance. 
• • Following Moroccan crisis Br/Fr = more united, fuelling German insecurity.
• • Entrenched alliances created a threatening bloc of Triple Entente, creating dead-ends in diplomacy as seen in aftermaths of the Moroccan and Agadir Crises.
• • Ge frustration at weltpolitik failure = turned to war as means of resolving differences
• • Reactionary Germany moved to create alliances with AH - support 1908 Bosnian Crisis -> sparked crises due to AH’s inflated military confidence 1st/2nd Balkan Wars (1912-1913).
• • Ru’s failures in imperialist conflicts 1904 Russo-Japanese War, 1908 Bosnian Crisis, 1912 Balkan Crisis incited rising nationalism = alleviate humiliation.
• • Role of Serbian nationalism = perpetrating assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand by Serb nationalist  28 June 1914.
  • Growth of Serb nationalism inflated by Ru support lit fuse on rising tensions.
  • July Crisis escalated = Kaiser issuing Austria unconditional Ge support boosting Austria’s confidence to go to war.
  • Impact of alliances prompted Austria to force ultimatum on Serb, declaring war on 28 July 1914 by leveraging Ge’s backing.
• • Alliance system further prompted Ru to mobilise on 30 July to support Serb.
• • 1914 July Crisis accelerated tensions to tipping point = outbreak
• • Ge’s long-term insecurity of encirclement due to Anglo-Russian alliance (1891-94) manifested itself in Schlieffen Plan of invading Belgium and Fr, dragging in Br
  • 1839 Treaty of London = Bel prompted Br to declare war on 4 August.
• • Br’s involvement proves pervasiveness of alliance system in outbreak.
• • J.G Stoessinger → blames outbreak = role of personalities in July Crisis (overly defensive/ aggressive leaders)
• • S.B Fay → myriad of long-term imperialism, militarism, and alliances were to blame.