Was The Naval Arms Race The MostImportant Cause Of The Outbreak Of WWI?

This essay hasn't yet been marked by one of our teachers

You can view 8 essays on International relations 1900-1939 that have been Marked by Teachers

The first 200 words of this essay...

Was The Naval Arms Race The Most Important Cause Of The Outbreak Of WWI?

Although the Naval Arms Race was an important cause of the outbreak of WWI, it was not the most important cause. The assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the trigger cause after Serbian Gavrilo Princip and his 'Terrorist Group', The Black Hand, tried and succeeded to Kill The Archduke and his wife at Sarajevo in Bosnia.

Tensions around Europe lead eventually to the Naval Arms Race occurring. Rivalry between the countries increased between 1900 and 1914, which therefore caused the two alliances- the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente, to be formed. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. The Triple Entente was made up of Britain, Russia and France.

They were formed mainly through the extreme tension in the Balkan region. Serbia wanted control over the Balkans and Slav people. So did Russia. So they joined together, both secretly hoping the other would back down so that they would get all the land instead of having to share it. However, Austro-Hungary also wanted control over the Balkans and Slavs. They allied with Germany after realising they