Nationalism, the assassination of the Archduke, the arms race and the alliance systems in Europe were all significant factors causing the Great War.

Nationalism History Essay

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a significant event in recent history, one of a series of events that contributed to the outbreak of The Great War. The assassination was not the sole cause of war although it sparked off many events and was used by Germany as justification for the war to take place. Nationalism in the Balkans was also a large contributing factor that led to World War One. The alliance systems in Europe were also significant, because it turned any small wars into one big one. The Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente took part in an arms race where they showed off their power by creating large armies. The tension that was created from these factors and other factors such as militarism, and imperialism saw the beginning of the First World War. The assassination of Ferdinand although significant was not the only cause of World War One, and it triggered off the war because of the tension existing between the two larger alliances. Therefore it could only be said that it was the cause of World War One to a small degree.

Nationalism in the Balkans contributed to the outbreak of World War One. Beginning in the late 19th century, the social unrest in the Balkan States became the focal point of many European powers. Nationalism is defined as “the belief that is loyal to a person's nation and its political and economic goals come before any other countries”. During the 1800's, there was an increase in nationalism, and some states began to see themselves as superior. A sentiment of commonality for people who shared a common language, history, or culture led to the creation of Italy and Germany, through the uniting of many small states. Local wars had a major role in increasing nationalism and achieving nation strength in Italy and Germany. They ruled many national groups that urged for independence. Serbia tried to take control of the Balkans over the assassination in Sarajevo. “Although there was no evidence that Princip was acting under orders from the Serbian government, Austria blamed Serbia” (Secondary Source, History Book). The Balkan Peninsula was known as the "Powder Keg of Europe" because tensions there threatened to start a major war. Rivalry for control of the Balkans added to the ongoing tension that erupted into World War 1.

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The alliance systems created many problems in Europe during the early 1900’s. At this time Europe was divided into two rival alliance systems. The Triple Entente, included Great Britain, France, and Russia and the Triple Alliance, which included Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy and eventually the Ottoman Turkish Empire. The primary source, ‘Expanded Version of the Triple Alliance’ explains the rules in the Triple Alliance. The Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungry and Italy were also known as the Central Powers. This name was significant because these countries were located in the central area of Europe. Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary agreed that if any member becomes involved in a war with two or more nations, its allies would come to its aid by force of arms. ARTICLE 2 (Source 3) demonstrates that if any country whether it were Austria-Hungary, Germany or Italy was attacked, then any other contracting parties would be bound to lend help and assistance. In April 1917, after 3 years of war, America decided to join in the triple alliance with Great Britain. Due to this complex alliance system, any two states engaging in war would set off a chain reaction, which was a major cause of World War One. Source two (primary) illustrates the complex European alliances, so that one little spark could cause a massive war.

The arms race was another factor that contributed to the outbreak of the First World War. The arms race saw a rivalry between the two alliances but in particular between Germany and Great Britain. This resulted in a major increase in the size and power of the navies and land marines in both countries. Britain believed that if they were to control their land with high powerful and up-to-date war ships, as seen in Source One then they would be safe. Source One (primary) is a photograph that shows the WW1 war ships at anchor that were used by the Britains. As you can see there where large quantities of navel vessels around the time of 1914 due to the arms race. The First World War also saw the invention of the rotational guns at both ends of the ship. This was a huge breakthrough as positioning of your navel vessel was no longer an issue. Germany decided to train their troops up as land marines and to use them in their well thought out Schlieffen plan where they would attack through Belgium. As the two alliances continued to build there armies, the tension between the two increased and this lead to the war.

Finally, the trigger of World War One was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand from Austria. This event in history did not cause the war by itself although it triggered off the war, caused by other complex issues. The assassination was also used by the alliances as justification for the start of the war. The problems in the Balkans caused the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand when he stepped into enemy territory. The assassination was very important because it was the trigger of the war, however it was not necessarily the cause of the war.

It is clear that nationalism, the assassination of the Archduke, the arms race and the alliance systems in Europe were all significant factors causing the Great War. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand triggered off many of the events that led to the war and provided the alliances with a justification to start the war. Nationalism caused many small disputes and the alliance systems brought them together into one. In the war, the armies built as a result of the arms race were taken into action. The tension between the alliances followed by the assassination of the Archduke triggered World War One. It is therefore clear that the assassination was a trigger of the war but was only a cause of World War One because of pre-existing tension due to factors such as nationalism in the Balkans, and the Arms Race. Therefore the assassination of Ferdinand was the cause of World War One only to a small degree.

James Phillips, Yr 10, Brisbane