As the twentieth century dawned, the weak and fragile Hapsburg Empire was in danger of being torn apart by the forces of nationalism. Although the ruling elite and the royal family of the Empire were German speaking Austrians, they Empire also consisted of a vast array of nationalities including Magyars, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Rumanians, Croatians, Serbs and Italians; all seeking some measure of sovereignty. In the revolts of 1848, nationalist forces threatened to destroy the Hapsburg Empire when violence erupted in Milan, Budapest and Prague. During the revolt, the Russian Empire was also threatened by nationalism. The Russian Tsar was forced to dispatch 200 000 soldiers to quell the violence in Hungary and suppress the Magyars’ desire for independence. Undoubtedly, it was nationalism that inspired the Black Hand Serbians to assassinate the Austrian heir over sixty years later. The Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 left Serbia as a larger and more powerful nation. Although Serbia had doubled its size, she remained landlocked and dissatisfied with her situation. Serbia’s sense of nationalism had been bolstered due to the Balkan Wars and it was nationalism, which caused the Serbians to regard the Serbians living in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire as their “oppressed brethren”. Serbians sought to bring all Serbs together in one political unit. Nationalism led to an awakening of Serbian political aims.
On July 23, 1914, the Austrian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia that was so extreme that it made it impossible for the Serbians to accept. The aim of the Austrians was to extinguish Serbian nationalism. Serbian nationalism posed such a serious threat to the Empire’s power over a population of mixed ethnicities, that Austria was willing to wage war.
Another important factor, which contributed to causing the First World War, was militarism. The major powers of Europe had all built up their militaries to unprecedented sizes. With the exception of Britain, all of the major powers had huge standing armies and conscription with at least two years service required. Military enthusiasm was throughout Europe and reflected in the dress of Europe’s royal families. Military drilling and marching was voluntarily practiced by millions of European citizens. Glory was still associated with going to battle for one’s nation. The reality of war had changed however, and chivalry and honor in combat was a thing of a bygone era. Even in the United Kingdom, where there was no conscription and the army was relatively small compared to those of the major powers of Europe, militarism was an extremely popular type of entertainment or hobby.
Prior to the First World War, war was very different. War was viewed as inevitability and a noble activity. Wars generally did not involve entire populations of states; they were fought between armies on a battlefield, away from civilian populations. It was only since the Franco-Prussian War, that the result of war meant an end to the regime, which had lost the conflict. Even this fact did little to inhibit militarism. All belligerent states involved in the First World War had ambitions and desires before the outbreak of war. Each state also had set plans for how to conduct any war. German war plans were particularly ambitious. In his book, “The Origins of the First World War”, Gordon Martel makes refernce to a book by Fritz Fisher, “Krieg Der Illusion (War of Illusion)”, in which the argument is presented that German generals decided to go to war for the control of Europe as far back as 1912. Prussia and then Germany had a strong tradition of militarism and discipline. After Wilhelm II became the Kaiser in 1888, Germany underwent a massive military build up in competition with Britain.
Perhaps the most important underlying cause of the First World War was that of imperialism. Under Wilhelm II’s leadership, Germany adopted a policy of internationalism. As other European powers had expanded, Germany remained in the difficult position of being in central Europe. Others had empires stretching around the globe and the Kaiser sought the same. The fragile balance of power in Europe was seriously threatened by Germany’s expansionist policies. Since gaining Alsace-Lorraine after the Franco-Prussian War, Germany’s power on the continent was unchallenged, with France being her subordinate. Britain and Russia were both threatened by the new power Germany had acquired and were forced to act to preserve the status quo. After the ascent of Wilhelm II to power, an aggressive foreign policy was administered unlike that of his predecessor’s, the Bismarck. Any alliance with Russia was ignored in favor of this new aggressive, expansionist policy.
Although Germany was not the only European state seeking an empire, their plans and actions became so ambitious after Wilhelm II’s ascent that the security of other European states became seriously threatened. Russia accepted an alliance with France after the Kaiser refused to renew their alliance. This essentially turned Europe into two armed camps, where a simple spark such as the assassination of the Austrian heir, could cause war at any moment. Often, the system of alliances in Europe before the First World War have been cited as causing the war, but a closer examination reveals that the European powers were drawn into these alliances due to Germany’s imperialistic desires.
The Great War certainly was not fought for the sake of the Archduke Ferdinand. Volunteers from Europe and even here in Canada did not flood the enlistment offices to avenge the death of some obscure Austrian royal figure. Nationalism, militarism and imperialism were the underlying causes for so many to commit themselves to the horrors that followed. Even if the powers had known of the devastation and carnage that would come, there still would have been a war. Controlling Europe was viewed as worth the risks involved.
Works Cited
Martel, Gordon. (1987). The origins of the First World War. New York, N.Y.: Longman
Group.
Macmillan, Margaret. (2003). Paris 1919. New York, N.Y.: Random House.
Pierce, Robert. (1997). The origins of the First World War. History Review. 27 (12). Retrieved May 20, 2004, MasterFILE database.
Lebow, Richard, N. “Contingency, Catalysts, and International System Change”, Political Science Quarterly Winter (2000): 591. Retrieved May 20,2004
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Robert Pierce, “The Origins of the First World War”, History Review 27 (1997): 12
Richard Ned Lebow, “Contingency, Catalysts, and International System Change”, Political Science Quarterly Winter (2000): 591.
Gordon Martel, The Origins of the First World War (London: Longman Press, 1987). P. 13.
Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919 (New York: Random House, 2003.).
