The Causes of World War I 1

Rebecca Moore
Final Research Paper
International Relations
HPS 33253
Ottawa University
March 7, 2020
The Causes of World War I 2

The Causes of World War I

World War I was a devastating conflict that arose in Europe in 1914. The Great War, as it

was known as before the Second World War, resulted from a several factors at play in the

political and social climate of Europe. The key factors responsible for the outbreak of war

included an increase in nationalism, continuing imperialism, the building up of strong armies and

defenses, secret alliances and political policies. The nations of Europe created a climate of

suspicion as they formed alliances such as the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. Bad blood

left over from the Franco-Prussian war put Germany and France at odds. The event which caused

the dam of these combined factors to break was the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke

Franz Ferdinand at the hands of Serbian nationalists. The combination of growing European

nationalism, intense military formation, secretive alliances, competitive imperialism and a

violent assassination created a powder keg climate which sparked into a World War.

The causes of World War I are often summed up using the acronym MANIA. Mania

stands for: Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism and Assassination. These are widely

considered the five biggest causes of World War I. These causes worked together to create

paranoia, suspicion and aggression between the powers of Europe. The interplay of these five

causes led Europe down a path to war and ruin in 1914 (Brown, 2020). There was no single

nation solely responsible for the tense environment in Europe before the start of the Great War.

Great Britain, France, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, Romania, the Ottoman

Empire, Japan and the United States would enter the conflict in Europe before the end of the war

in 1918. Although Germany would solely bear the blame of the war at the end thanks to the

Treaty of Versailles, they were far from the only nation which helped the war to begin (World

War I, 2020).
The Causes of World War I 3

The Causes of World War I

Militarism is a large reason for the climate in Europe which led to World War I. The

building of large standing armies and military defenses caused paranoia and tensions to build in

Europe prior to the start of World War I. Many of the major players in the war worked to shore

up their defenses and build their military might for several reasons. Germany and France had

been engaged in a conflict since the time of Napoleon III in 1870. Both sides worked to

militarize their nations in preparation to resume their fight. Germany built up their naval forces

and it caused Great Britain to feel threatened. Great Britain had the strongest navy in history and

they responded to the Germans by making it even larger and stronger. Many other nations in

Europe felt pressure to strengthen their military forces because of France, Germany and Great

Britain. These nations knew that the militarizing happening between Germany and France was

likely to stir up their unfinished conflict again (Brown, 2020).

The conflict between France and Germany which would follow the nations into the next

century was called the Franco Prussian War of 1870. France was one of the most powerful

nations on the planet at the time. Under Napoleon III, it had amassed great power, wealth, and

colonial influence. Germany, on the other hand, was fragmented into smaller states without much

power. The leader of the state of Prussia, Otto Bismarck, began consolidating the Prussian and

Germanic states into a single nation, which pulled at the borders between the states and France.

France was not at all happy with this happening and began building their army up in order to

prevent German unification. After a series of debacles which included insulting telegrams and

France forcing a Prussian prince to rescind his claim to the Spanish throne, France declared war

on Prussia (What did Prussia’s victory in the Franco-Prussian War mean for Europe?, 2020).
The Causes of World War I 4

Unfortunately for France, they were terribly unprepared for the fight. Many of their

troops were stationed in their colonies across the globe with some as far away as Algeria and

Vietnam. Prussia crushed the French army soundly, unifying its southern states along the way.

The Prussian-German army marched all the way to Paris after Napoleon III abdicated the throne

and the Prussian Kaiser Wilhelm I was crowned the king of a united Germany at Versailles. The

Franco Prussian War led to Germany becoming a powerful untied nation. Germans felt

invincible but the sting of defeat for France would lead to further conflict in the next century

(What did Prussia’s victory in the Franco-Prussian War mean for Europe?, 2020).

Another cause of World War I were the alliances made between the nations of Europe.

Political alliances and secret agreements caused unrest and suspicion between the powers in

Europe. Two major factions emerged as the continent headed towards war: The Triple Entente

(Allies) and the Triple Alliance (Central Powers). The Triple Entente was made up of Great

Britain, France and Russia while the Triple Alliance was made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary

and Italy. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Germany used their alliance with

Austria and an excuse to declare war on France. In response, Great Britain declared war on

Germany to protect their ally and the Great War began (Brown, 2020).

The alliances in Europe grew and changed throughout the course of the war. Italy, who

had initially been supporting Germany and Austria-Hungary, switched allegiances to the Triple

Entente, which became known as the Allied Forces after the start of the war. This group also

gained support from Belgium, the United States and Japan as the war went on. The Triple

Alliance, which became known as the Central Powers after the start of the war, gained support

from Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. Russia would exit the war in 1917 after the Russian

Revolution while the United States entered the war in the same year (Brown, 2020). 
The Causes of World War I 5

Nationalism was rampant in Europe during this time. Great Britain, France, Germany,

Russia and Austria-Hungary all experienced intense nationalistic surges, each believing they

were better than others as a nation and were better equipped for conflict. Germany and France

were heavily under the influence of nationalism after their conflict in the Franco Prussian War.

Germany felt it was powerful and unstoppable now that it had unified and won a war, while

France was looking to regain its pride from their defeat at German hands (Brown, 2020).

Germany’s push to increase their naval presence threatened the pride of the biggest navy at the

time, belonging to Great Britain. Great Britain was incredibly powerful before World War I, with

an empire built on colonial assets which spanned nearly one fourth of the globe. Their pride and

nationalism quickly put them at odds with the growing German Empire, especially as an alliance

between Great Britain and France grew (Llewellyn and Thompson, 2017).

Germany’s ally, Austria-Hungary, was experiencing trouble with nationalism within its

expansive borders. The nation encompassed many smaller states with different ethnicities, such

as Serbia, Poland, Romania, Croatia, and many others. An ethnic group which would prove to be

troublesome for the Empire were the Slavic people. Slavic people were struggling to form their

own nations during this time. Russia backed many of them, helping to protect and empower the

Slavic people as they struggled out from under Austro-Hungarian rule. One group of Slavic

people looking to benefit from this arrangement were the Serbs. The Serbs had long disliked

their lives under Empire rule and a group of Serbian nationalistic terrorists would be instrumental

in kicking off the Great War (Brown, 2020). 

Imperialism was another cause of the conflict in World War I. European powers were

still embroiled in a struggle for dominance over their colonial interests. There was a push for

powerful nations to control land in strategic economic areas all over the globe (Brown,
The Causes of World War I 6

2020). France had colonies in Algeria, Africa, Vietnam and South Asia (What did Prussia’s

victory in the Franco-Prussian War mean for Europe?, 2020). Great Britain had colonies in India,

South Africa, Australia and Canada. The colonial holdings helped to make European nations

incredibly wealthy. It was a matter of power and pride for nations to engage in imperialism as

their influence literally spanned the globe (Llewellyn and Thompson, 2017). These areas were

frequently fought over, as shown in Northern Africa, where Germany attempted to gain a

foothold despite Great Britain and France, who already had a strong colonial presence in the

area. France and Great Britain worked together to keep Germany out of Africa, which helped to

strengthen their alliance (Brown, 2020).

The final cause of World War I was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke

and heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Serbian people were at odds with the

Austro-Hungarian Empire which ruled over their lands. They desired to be free from this rule

and to forge their own nation with help from Russia. One person who represented everything the

Serbians hated about the Empire was Franz Ferdinand. Outwardly a cold and harsh man,

Ferdinand helped impose Austro-Hungarian rule over the Slavic people. A group of Serbian

nationalists called the Black Hand managed to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914,

when he traveled to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia (Franz Ferdinand, 2019). 

Ferdinand had gone to Bosnia with his wife, Sophie, to inspect troops stationed there.

Several assassins from the nationalistic terrorist group made attempts on his life, through

grenades and handguns, but the one who succeeded was Gavrilo Princip. Princip shot the

Archduke and his wife, killing them both. The assassination shocked and enraged the empire.

Austro-Hungary handed Serbia an ultimatum to surrender on terms which they knew Serbia

could never meet and declared war on Serbia a mere 48 hours later. Germany then used the
The Causes of World War I 7

situation to continue its conflict from the Franco Prussian war and declared war on France.

Several days later, Great Britain came to the aid of France and declared war on Germany in

return. The assassination of Ferdinand lit the packed powder keg which had been building in

Europe (Austria's Archduke Ferdinand Assassinated, 2019).

The Consequences of World War I

World War I was fought from 1914 until 1918. The war was fought on two fronts, the

Western Front in France and Belgium, and the Eastern Front in Poland and Eastern Prussia. The

Western Front became a nightmarish battlefield of trench warfare which stayed locked in a

stalemate between Germany and the Allies for three years. The Eastern Front saw Russia attempt

to fight Germany in Poland and East Prussia, but Russia was unable to defeat the Germans. The

costly losses helped lead to the Russian Revolution in 1917 and stopped Russia’s part in the war.

Russia signed an armistice with the Central Powers in December of 1917 and freed numerous

German soldiers who returned to fight at the Western Front (World War I, 2020).

The United States entered World War I in 1917 after German U-boats had attacked and

sunk ships carrying American passengers in the Atlantic Ocean. The United States sent supplies,

soldiers and technology to aid the Allies in the fight. New ships, submarines, planes and weapons

were created to help fight the war. With the combined efforts of the Allied forces, the tide of the

war was turned at the Second Battle of the Marne. The Allies routed a German attack and

launched a counter offensive which pushed Germany out of France and Belgium. The defeat at

Marne severely weakened the Central Powers (World War I, 2020).

Germany’s ally the Ottoman Empire, now modern day Turkey, had initially helped keep

the Central Powers strong, but by 1918 it was struggling. The Ottoman Empire, faced with war
The Causes of World War I 8

cost and revolts from Arabs, exited the war by signing an armistice with the Allies in October of

1918. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, under pressure from the growing nationalistic movements

demanding freedom from its many ethnicities and smaller states, had become severely weakened

by this time. As the great empire started to dissolve, they too reached an armistice with the Allies

on November 4th of 1918. Germany, now isolated with the surrendering of its two biggest allies

and dealing with its dwindling resources and discontent from its people, finally laid down its

arms and reached an armistice on November 11th, 1918. The Great War was finally over, but its

legacy would have lasting ramifications for the entire world (World War I, 2020).

After Germany and the Central Powers surrendered to the Allied Forces, a final peace

treaty was signed at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France in the summer of 1919. The Treaty

of Versailles imposed harsh reparations on Germany, essentially laying the blame for the war

right at their feet. The Treaty was a farce as a peace document, including very few nations in the

deliberations and imposing huge monetary costs on Germany. Germany was ordered to pay back

billions in gold marks and the strain it placed on their nation quickly collapsed their economy

and dropped the value of the mark to a ridiculous extent. The financial and economic crisis this

caused in Europe spread to the rest of the world. The cycle of borrowing and lending happening

between Germany, the United States and France may have even brought about the Great

Depression (Pruitt, 2019).

The German people were devastated by the Treaty of Versailles. According to the Treaty,

they bore the sole brunt of the blame for starting World War I, a stance which completely

overlooked Austria-Hungary’s actions against Serbia. Austria-Hungary was never prosecuted for

their part in causing the conflict. The blame and reparations Germans were saddled with made it

possible for right-wing groups like the National Socialist Party, known as the Nazis, to gain a
The Causes of World War I 9

foothold in post-war Germany. The outrage and hardship the Treaty of Versailles levied on the

decimated nation allowed the second World War to happen. Adolph Hitler, leader of the Nazi

party, was able to convince the German people he could overturn the unfair ruling and bring

Germany out of the dark times which they felt had been caused by the Treaty of Versailles

(Pruitt, 2019).

World War I changed the world. It was the first global conflict seen on such a scale in

modern times and pitted many nations against each other. Alliances were made and broken

throughout the war, setting the tone of shaky foreign relations for years to come. Nations grew

and fell during the war and the shape of Europe changed greatly as a result. Innovations into

weaponry, aircraft, ships and submarines propelled the world into the modern era. Millions of

lives were lost fighting the war and the cost for everyone involved was high. However, no one

suffered so greatly from the war as Germany, where the blame of the war was laid. The unfair

treaty which ended the conflict caused social and economic problems for decades to come. These

problems would make it possible for the powder keg of conflict to be primed again and would

lead to the start of an even worse world-wide battle: World War II.

Conclusion

There were many causes which led to the breakout of World War I in Europe. The

powerful countries on the continent had been building up their armies and military defenses after

France and Germany fought the Franco Prussian War in 1870. Political alliances, such as the

Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance, increased paranoia and suspicion between nations.

Imperialism had long been a staple of Europe but pressure to maintain colonial holdings against

other nations began straining relations. An increase in nationalism, both in established European
The Causes of World War I 10

nations and in newer, budding nations led to instability and terrorism. Everything came to a head

when Austro-Hungarian heir Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist group.

All these causes, working together to sow chaos among the nations of Europe, helped to usher in

the largest war the world had seen until that point. The Great War had come to Europe and the

world would never be the same again. 

The Causes of World War I 11

References

Austria's Archduke Ferdinand Assassinated. (2019). Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-ferdinand-assassinated

Brown, B. (2020). Causes of WWI (The Great War). Retrieved from https://cnx.org/contents/-
bNFhaCp@4/Causes-of-WWI-The-Great-War

Franz Ferdinand. (2019). Biography. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/political-

figure/franz-ferdinand

Llewellyn, J. and Thompson, S. (2017). Great Britain Before World War I. Retrieved from
https://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/great-britain/

Pruitt, S. (2019). How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War II. Retrieved
from https://www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-world-war-ii-german-guilt-effects

What did Prussia’s victory in the Franco-Prussian War mean for Europe? (2020). Retrieved
from https://dailyhistory.org/What_did_Prussia%E2%80%99s_victory_in_the_Franco-
Prussian_War_mean_for_Europe%3F

World War I. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-

history