Why did the first world war break out in 1914? I will be discussing the six main causes: The alliance system, imperial rivalry, arms race and naval race, the Moroccan crisis, Balkan troubles, and the assassination in Sarajevo.

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Why did the First World War break out in 1914?

The First World War broke out in August 1914 and had a devastating effect on several countries around central Europe. Millions were killed, cities destroyed, and people separated from their family and friends. In this essay, I will be discussing the six main causes: The alliance system, imperial rivalry, arms race and naval race, the Moroccan crisis, Balkan troubles, and the assassination in Sarajevo. I will also be asking the question, ‘well would war have happened if this didn’t happen’, and doing my best to answer it.

The most important cause, I believe is the Alliance system. This was a system of Treaty’s between different countries that stated that each country would back up the other in war. Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy had an alliance, and Great Britain, France and Russia had an alliance. The Alliance system was very delicate however, and a tiny event that would not usually mean anything could make the whole thing come crashing down with devastating effect. This tiny event, of course, did happen, and the Alliance system pulled the whole of Europe into the fighting. Without the Alliance system, I think war was less likely to happen, but even if it did, it could be resolved quicker, as there would only be two countries fighting instead of six or more.

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In my view, the second most important cause was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. I believe that this was important, as it was the small incident that set everything off. Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, so when the Serbian assassinator Gavrilo Pricip murdered him, it was the excuse that Austria-Hungary needed to declare war on Serbia, and wipe the annoying little country off the map. Unfortunately, it was not as simple as that. When Austria Hungary attacked Serbia, the Alliance system came into play, pulling Russia, France, Germany, Italy and Britain into the ...

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