WORLD WAR I

A great war or a great revolution cannot begin suddenly. Neither of them begins due to one cause. It is the result of many causes. All these causes are closely connected with one another. So was the case with World War I.

Causes

Nationalism – An important cause of the war was nationalism. Nationalism began in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the beginning the movement of nationalism was not harmful. Its aim was the boundaries of nationalities and the boundaries of state should be the same. The congress of Vienna did not care for the feeling of nationalism. So there were national risings in many countries of Europe. The people there wanted the right of self – determinism. By the end of the 19th century, nationalism took a new shape. It became aggressive. All the nations began to give importance to themselves. Their patriotism became intolerant. The people of one country began to be hated by those of the other. This hatred was responsible for the war.

Imperialism – The countries of the west wanted to expand their colonies to get raw materials for their industries as well as markets for their finished goods. The race for colonies in Asia and Africa led to rivalries among nations. For e.g. England and France had the largest number of colonies.

Armaments – Some of the countries of Europe had entered into rivalry for colonies. As a result they had to prepare themselves to fight against others. So the great powers of Europe prepared themselves for war. Huge sums of money began to be spent on armaments and army. Countries thus prepared for war do not make concessions to others. The keenest rivalry was between Germany and France. The armament makers made good money, so they fanned the flame of rivalry. Thus, the period from 1870-1913 was a period of ‘armed peace’. In such a period there could be no hope of security. Even a very slight cause was enough to plunge the world into war.

Secret diplomacy – Secret diplomacy was also a cause of the war. Germany, Austria and Italy had formed the triple Alliance. England, France and Russia had formed the triple Entente. Thus, Europe was divided into two ‘armed camps’. These camps grew suspicious of each other.

Other causes – There were also many other causes of the war. There were 4 important international events. Two of these happened in Morocco between Germany and France. The other two happened in the Balkan region between Russia and Austria Hungary. Fortunately none of these happenings led to war. But they did increase the tension among the nations.

Immediate cause – Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo in Bosnia. The suspects were Serbs, so Austria held Serbia responsible for the murder. Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia. She wanted Serbia to accept the ultimatum within forty-eight hours.

The break out of the war – Serbia accepted many demands of Austria. England, France and Russia tried to induce Austria. Their efforts proved useless. Austria did not feel satisfied. On July 8, 1914, Austria declared war upon Serbia. Soon the flames of war spread far and wide. It assumed the form of a world war. The war came to an end on November 11, 1918, when an armistice was concluded. It was followed by the Paris Peace Conference.