Q:04: Highlight the major factors that led to the WWI and determine on whom we can

place the major responsibility of the catastrophe?

Ans:

Road To WWI

There were multiple causes which lead to the World War I but the major factors are as follows:

Extreme Nationalism:

The building force of nationalism gradually turned to be a curse for world peace

Complex/Secret Alliance System:

Due to the uncleared and complex Alliance and many of their secrete clauses caused uncertainty

among the world leaders. The Allainces made in late-19th Century and early 20th century were

due on forcing all the world states indulge into war. Some of the complex Alliances system are

as follows:

Dual Alliance 1879

Germany and Austro-Hungry made an arrangement called Dual Alliance. By this Alliance each

party undertook to help other in event of attack by Russia or to keep neutral in the event of an

attack by France especially.

Triple Alliance: 1882

Bismarck successfully created descension between France and Italy. Italy fall under the basket of

Dual Alliance and formed Triple Alliance with Germany Austro-Hungary and Italy. Latter on

this alliance includes the Romania.

Franco-Russian Dual Alliance:

This was an counter Alliance of triple one. It was managed between France and Russia, if in any

case of Attack from triple Alliance, Both Countries would retaliate together.

Anglo-Japan Alliance 1902:

In 1902 Britain showed some flexibility in its splendid policy. Britain made Ally out of Europe

so that he could assure the British interest in India and contain other European powers from

picking up from east.

Entente Cordiale: 1904

The step Britain taken to smoothen the relations with France and easily curtail Germany

Alliances. However, it was an friendship indicator.

Triple Entente:

The strength of the Entente had extended into three with arrival of Russia.

Nationalism: Road WWI:

Nationalism, once was the ideology of self-independence of states and struggle to get

independent nation state now went too far with chauvinist form of extreme nationalist. The

strong nations patriotically pursuing their national interest clashes with one another. It was

nationalism which caused a more imperial approach for national interest and ultimately caused

WWI.

The Balkan Wars:

Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece, which had broken away from the Ottoman Empire

during the 19th Century, formed an alliance called the Balkan League. The Russian-backed

alliance aimed to take away even more of the Turks’ remaining territory in the Balkans

1st War:

In the First Balkan War in 1912, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro defeated Ottoman forces, and

forced them to agree to an armistice. But the Balkan League soon disintegrated, and in the

Second Balkan War, the Bulgarians fought the Greeks and Serbs over Macedonia, and the

Ottoman Empire and Romania jumped into the fray against the Bulgarians as well.

Bulgaria ultimately was defeated. The Balkan Wars made the region even more unstable. In the

power void left by the Ottomans, tensions grew between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. That, in

turn, led Austria-Hungary and its ally, Germany, to decide that a war with the Serbs would be

needed at some point to strengthen Austria-Hungary’s position. “Many historians consider the

Balkan Wars as the true beginning of the First World War,” Fogarty says.

2nd War:

An outraged Serbia together with Greece and Rumania went to war with Bulgaria over the

division of the spoils. The Ottoman Empire recapture Adrianople. In 1913 the Treaty of

Bucharest evicted Bulgaria from Macedonia and Rumania took some parts. Serbia became a

giant and population increased with 50 percent. It was an threat to Austria

Immediate Cause:

 Increase in Military establishment.

 The Assassination of Arch Duke of Ferdinand.