Who Is Responsible For Starting Wwi Essays - Causes Of World War I

Who Is Responsible For Starting Wwi Who is Responsible for Causing World War I? In August of 1914, the war to end all wars began. The First World War saw incredible amounts of casualties because of new fighting techniques and technology, among other reasons. While it is clear who the victors of the war were after the battles had been fought and the Peace of Paris signed, what is not clear is who started this war. Historians have debated this question since the very early stages of the war and it is one that still remains without one concrete answer. A common elementary history textbook will explain the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria as the sole cause for World War one, but further research seriously brings this statement into question. I feel as though it was not one single person, or even a single country who/that caused the war, but rather a series of events and situations which include the following: the allying of countries and preparing for war which preceded the fighting itself, the actions of the Black Hand as a message of Serbian national ists, the persuasion of Austria-Hungary by Germany for a swift retribution for this act, and Russia's swift mobilization of troops along the Central Powers' eastern border in the early stages of the war. The first and possibly most important cause of World War I may have been the allying of the countries involved in the war and the posturing for action which they participated in. Although many treaties were signed and many alliances made previously, the start of the time line of WWI may be traced to the Dual Alliance signed by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879, to which Italy joined in 1882 forming the Triple Alliance. It was an agreement that was one of military protection, stating that if any member of the alliance were to become involved in the war with two other powers, they would respond with military aid and intervention. This agreement was countered by the Franco-Russian Alliance signed in 1894. Its terms were similar to that of the Triple Alliance's. These two agreements directly opposed one another. Who would there be to oppose these groups but one another? These drawing of allies basically served to prepare Europe for eminent war. After their signings, it seems very plausible and likely that the many power struggles in Europe would only be solved by warfare. At this point in time, many countries started to prepare for a war that they were unsure would even occur, much less who it would be fought against. The first of these movements was the incredible investment of France's resources into Russia. The French knew that to be a valuable ally, Russia would have to be better equipped and more able to fight, if needed. Therefore, by the time Russia started to mobilize in the early stages of war, France had invested incredible amounts of money and resources to support and build up its principle ally. However, They were not the only countries preparing for possible war. Germany took this opportunity to construct a naval fleet. The chief result of this naval production was an equal production from England, which held a common interest of having a two-to-one naval advantage over all other countries. The ongoing one-upping between these two countries led to huge fleets being assembled with no other primary function, save for war. Because of this, these new navies only increased the probability of a costly war. By the beginning of war, the German to English ship ratio was in proportion of 10 - 16 which the English often regarded as unmenacing. These events were causes of the war in that they affected many other countries besides those directly involved. Neighboring countries noticing increased armament would only want to arm themselves, which is what happened in this instance. The result was the cause of a widespread nervousness in regards to a war that more and more people were not only coming to expect, but also one that many were starting to realize would be quite great in scope. The next significant event, in my opinion, was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria by the Serbian nationalist group, Black Hand.