Was The Alliance System The Cause Of WWI History Essay.
Besides the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente, other alliances and agreements were being formed. By 1900, Britain had left its policy of isolationism and became allies with Japan. What could have originally been a local war between two countries, led to a whole world war due to the system of alliances that forced other countries to become involved.
The primary cause of WW1 was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; however, alliances developed prior to the war and the glorification in country’s military made the call for war nearly imperative. Militarism is when a country builds a strong military with the intention to use it when it is thought necessary.
Some historians feel that the impact that the alliances had as a cause of the First World War is often overstated. They argue that alliances did not disempower governments or lead to automatic declarations of war and that the authority to declare war was wielded only by the national leaders.
Although the European Alliances were certainly a cause of WWI, there were many other causes as well. Along with the European Alliances there was Nationalism, Imperialism, Militarism, and of course the physical conflicts leading up to the war. All these issues blew up the balloon of tension, which just needed a tiny pinprick to burst into war.
Historians disagree about what 'caused' the First World War, but most trace it in some degree to the growing power of Germany. The 'balance of power' between the nations of Europe became unstable.
The Allies played a strategic role in WW1 in the overthrow of germanyand it's alliances. The Allies also played a major role in the cause of the second World War. The Allies had a serious hate for Germany because they felt as though the cause of WW1 was purely Germany's fault.
There were many factors that led up to the start of World War I in Europe. A lot of these factors were rooted in the deep history of the old powers of Europe including Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Britain. The real causes of World War I included politics, secret alliances, imperialism, and nationalistic pride.