Causes of World War I (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what were the key background that led to the outbreak of World War I and how the main alliances were formed.

The development of the war industry in the great powers was a key history of the great war.

The period that preceded the First World War is known as the “armed peace” and is characterized by The growing tension between the European imperialist powers in its political, economic, ideological and territorial competence. In that context, the different states were forming strategic alliances with other countries and their industries turned to military and arms production.

A series of international crisis led to the formation of two major sides of faced countries:

The triple alliancein which Germany, the Austro -Hungarian Empire and Italy.
The triple ententecomposed of France, Great Britain and Russia.

In 1914, the murder of the Austrian archduke Francisco Fernando in Sarajevo triggered a series of events that activated the previously formed alliances and brought World War I to the outbreak.

Key points

World War I was one of the most devastating clashes in history.
The main cause of the war was the competition between the great European powers, which sought to exercise control and influence outside their borders.
The conformation of two sides was a consequence of a series of alliances between the powers, which were created to take care of the respective political, military and economic interests of the signatory countries.

See also: Phases of World War I

The growth of tensions

Between the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, there were three key elements in the global political and economic landscape that stressed the relations between European powers:

The globalization of the world economy. The economic growth of the United States and Japan meant the passage of European competition for political power to the formation of a world competition of great powers. Two wars during the course of the century exemplify this transformation: the Spanish-American war of 1898 and the Russian-Japanese war of 1905.
The technological development of the second industrial revolution. The domain of new technologies and industries caused a new correlation of forces between the powers. Germany, an increasingly powerful country, began to challenge British hegemony. This challenge was completed in two lands: the growing competition of the German economy and the accelerated German naval rearme. On the other hand, given the growth of tensions, the powers began to devote more and more resources to military production and the formation of troops.
European colonial expansion of the late nineteenth century. The extension of colonial empires exacerbated the struggle for territories and markets between European industrial powers. The competition not only occurred for economic reasons. Often political, geostrategic or prestige issues were behind colonial conflicts. In this context, there were two fundamental rivalries from which subsequent alliances were formed: the rivalry between France and Germany, and its dispute by the Alsace-Lorena region; and the rivalry between Russia and the Austrohungal Empire for hegemony in the Balkans.

You may be interested: History of Technology

The formation of alliances

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Bismarck, the Chancellor of Germany, built a complex network of international treaties whose key element was the Triple Alliance (1882) that linked Germany with Austria-Hungary and Italy. The main objective was the maintenance of a status quo that was considered beneficial for Germany.

However, towards the end of the century, Emperor Guillermo II (1888-1918) determined a new course in German international politics, known as Weltpolitik. This new attitude implied a more ambitious and aggressive arms strategy and triggered a process of competition and distrust of the other powers.

Consequently, in 1893 France and the Russian Empire signed the Franco-Rusa Alliancean agreement that collected a Commitment to military aid in the case of war against Germany. In the following years, the growing fear of the aggressiveness of German politics led France and the United Kingdom to leave their colonial competence in the background and signed in 1904 a mutual support agreement called the Cordiale entente.

In 1905, Russia was defeated in the war that faced Japan. This failure caused Russia to abandon its ambitions in the Eastern Extreme and focus its attention on the Balkans, which inevitably led to the clash with Austria-Hungary.

Finally, encouraged by France and after solving their problems in Central Asia (Persia and Afghanistan), the United Kingdom and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian agreement in 1907. In this way, the foundations of the so -called triple entente between France, Great Britain and Russia were consolidated.

See also: World War I alliances

Crises prior to World War I

In the context of growing confrontation between the powers, between 1905 and 1914, four international crises that marked the evolution towards the outbreak of the Great War took place:

First Moroccan crisis (1905-1906)

Guillermo II, taking advantage of a visit to Tangier, proclaimed that Germany would not allow Morocco to become dominated by a single power. This warning was clearly addressed to France, increasingly present in the North African kingdom. This challenge precipitated the call of the Algeciras Conference (1906), to which all European powers were summoned. Germany was isolated and France received British support.

The main consequence was the consolidation of the Cordiale entente, which took advantage of France to promote the approach between Great Britain and Russia. The growing German aggressiveness dissipated the differences between London and St. Petersburg. With the signing of the Anglo-Ruso Agreement in 1907, the triple entente was born, the fundamental pact that united France, Great Britain and Russia.

The Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (1908)

Taking advantage of the revolution of the young Turks in Türkiye, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia. Germany supported his ally and Russia was forced to give in to the Austrian aggression. Neither France nor Britain were willing to support Russia in an eventual conflict.

The only good news for St. Petersburg was that, taking advantage of Turkish weakness, Bulgaria proclaimed its full independence, and broke the ties that even united it to Türkiye. The Bulgarians, like the other Slavs in the region, saw Russia as the great protective power of Eslava.

The atmosphere in the Balkans became even more complicated in a year in which the struggle for naval hegemony between Germany and Great Britain gave an escalation.

The incident of Agadir in Morocco (1911)

The sending of a German cannon ship to Agadir-in a clear challenge to France-caused a serious crisis that concluded with the signing of a Franco-German agreement. In this agreement, it was established that Germany gave hands free to France in Morocco in exchange for an important part of the French Congo.

While the international tension was exacerbated, the Franco-British alliance was strengthened by supporting the United Kingdom resolutely to the Paris government.

Balcanic Wars (1912-1913)

Two successive wars of the Balcanic states, the first against Türkiye and the second intern between them (Serbia and Greece and Montenegro against Bulgaria) concluded with the Bucharest treaty (1913).

The definitive crisis: Sarajevo’s attack

Archduke’s murderer Francisco Fernando was arrested.

In this voltage environment, on June 28, 1914, Archduke Francisco Fernando, nephew of Emperor Francisco José I and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo (Bosnia) was killed.

A Serbobosnio activist, Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian nationalist organization “La Mano Negra”, was the author of the assassination. The powers faithfully fulfilled their alliances. and This attack triggered a fatal series of events that led to the war.

The main facts that led to the Great War were the following:

1914

June 28. Gavrilo Princip is murdered to Archduke Francisco Fernando (heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne) in Sarajevo.
July 23. After ensuring German support, Austria-Hungary launches an ultimatum to Serbia.
July 28. Austria-Hungary declares war to Serbia.
July 30. Russia begins general mobilization.
August 1. Germany declares war to Russia. France begins general mobilization.
August 3. Germany declares war to France.
August 4. Germany invades Belgium, which causes the United Kingdom to declare war.

Continue with:

Chronology of World War I
Consequences of World War I
Dead in World War

References

Hobsbawn, eg (1998). 20th century history. Criticism
Tato, Mi, Bubello, JP, Castello, AM and Campos, E. (2011). History of the second half of the twentieth century. Estrada
Gilbert, M., & Devoto, A. (2005). World War I. Sphere of books.