ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Introduction

This paper addresses the question of how, from my perspective, the decision-making
regarding diplomacy during the First World War by the two contending blocs is
evaluated and how such processes affected the configuration of the world. for the
beginning of the 20th century. To respond to this, an analysis and reflection will be
carried out on the information about the topic that was collected from different sources.

Before addressing the topic in greater depth, it is necessary to establish and define
certain concepts, in order to achieve a better understanding of the topic in general. First,
it is important to define based on what the conflict developed around the First World
War. The trigger occurred on June 29, 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, of
Habsburg, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated in the
city of Sarajevo. As a result, Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of assassination and
declared war. the 28th of July. Faced with this murder, a diplomatic crisis was unleashed
in which various international alliances that had been formed over the years before the
war intervened: Russia supported Serbia, Germany supported the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, and France supported Russia.

Development

Now, as a result of this conflict, a series of acts were detonated by all the nations
involved, which at the time were all the great powers of the world. These were aligned
and divided between two sides that faced each other, for on the one hand: The Allies of
the Triple Entente, which were made up of France, Great Britain and Russia, and on the
other, the Central Powers of the Triple Alliance, which were the German, Austro-
Hungarian and Italian empires.

As mentioned previously, the assassination of Duke Franz Ferdinand is historically

recorded as the trigger for this war, however, there were other causes that also
motivated the start of the war.

Among the most relevant we can mention the strong arms competition, since nations
wanted to be at the forefront with the latest in war technology, which caused a bloody
and devastating war across the entire European continent. In addition to the constant
dispute over African and Asian colonies, this arose from the desire of the great powers
to exploit their resources, which caused allies with commercial and territorial interests to
become involved in the war. And a very important one to mention, nationalism, since all
the countries involved had the intention of being superior and dominating the world,
which, added to the military and political alliances between them, consolidated the
creation of the two great opposing sides.

Finally, after several defeats and the weakening of the German military forces, added to
the revolution that their country was experiencing, on November 11, 1918, Germany
requested an armistice and accepted defeat, thus ending the Great War.

Returning to the question of the decisions made by both blocks and the consequences
for the 20th century. In both blocks and in each of the countries involved they did not
have a plan on how to carry out a war economy, since the needs that arose were solved
on the fly. First, the mandatory recruitment of young people of military age began, which
continued as long as the conflict lasted. Later, changes occurred in the productive
sphere and in public finances to feed, equip, train, transport, and provide medical and
health care to the troops. Subsequently, the need to replace absent labor led to the
incorporation of large contingents of female labor, both for military and non-military
production. And, although the naval aspect took on great importance, naval operations
were not carried out according to traditional theory.

At the time, most European nations viewed war not as a horror to be avoided at all
costs, but as a useful political instrument.

The heads of the winning powers impose burdensome war reparations on the defeated.
In addition, the need to create permanent supranational structures is contemplated
internationally, which would become a place to discuss and resolve differences and
conflicts between countries; although in the specific case of the League of Nations it will
end up being a resounding failure. The implementation of reparations and the creation of
a regulatory body were the foundation on which the beginning of the 20th century would
be built.
Among the consequences of this war we have the Treaties of Versailles, with which
peace was intended, however, it turned out to be a false solution to the problems
caused by the world war, since it is considered that these treaties did not solve the real
problems. Rather, economic, political and social problems only served to install
authoritarian regimes in most of the continent in the following decade and eventually
trigger the Second World War.

On the other hand, we have the war reparations demanded by the allies from the
defeated, which resulted in gigantic figures that were impossible for the losing countries
to pay, since they were physically destroyed, economically exhausted and in debt,
evidently they could not cope with the agreed commitments.

Conclusion

The Treaty of Versailles established certain guidelines such as the destruction of the
German merchant fleet, using its ships and assets to pay war reparations, the
destruction of German industrial power by depriving it of coal and steel deposits, these
were bases of the industry of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with which Germany
was greatly affected and marked a before and after for the construction of its industry in
the 20th century, and the destruction of industrial links between Germany and its
European neighbors.

It is believed that the First World War was the first fully technological war, since it
enunciated the productive and scientific-technical capacity of the late 19th and early
20th centuries, which ended up destroying the old concept of Western war. Specific
military strategies, tactics and operations were completely conditioned by the productive
and destructive capacity of science and technology.

The scientific and technological advances caused and encouraged by the war were
soon applied and generalized in the civil productive field, leading to a great
transformation of the forms of production. New products and services were created, new
means of transportation were updated, and especially the emergence of the internal
combustion engine was consolidated as “the engine” of the king product of the 20th
century: the automobile.
The modernization of the Russian economy and its transformation into a Soviet
economy occurred with great economic, social and political costs. The change in the
international economic and political order resulted in the end of the British century and
the emergence of the United States as the main economic, political and military power in
the world.

Various countries suffered great losses in railways, bridges, roads and other
infrastructure that directly affected their economies. The appearance of female labor,
since the male labor force was on the battlefield, this produced the mobilization of
European women in the administration; production, public and social services, this led to
the end of the old regime with its economic, social and political values, promoting female
work outside the domestic sphere, universal female suffrage, and the review of the
female universe in all aspects ; from public and private morality to fashion and
consumption patterns. The countries that participated suffered great economic
expenses, which brought strong periods of crisis. The United States and Japan began to
be economic powers that supplied products and credits to affected countries, all of
which marked the beginning of the 20th century. Furthermore, something very important
to add is that the First World War has always been considered the Great War, this has
to do with the number of victims that this war caused, which in the case of these
countries was higher than those suffered in the Second World War.

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