Causes for World War One

Causes for World War mavenConnor SweeneyQ1) The incitement of World War One was the result of different factors muckle in motion by various policy-making situations with m any(prenominal) accept Germany pursued struggle for raptorial reasons. Additionally, historians illustrate that Germany pursued contend as a solution to domestic issues much(prenominal) as the modernize of socialism. some(prenominal) historians believe that Germany pursued warf are through aggressive means such as policies and diplomatic decisions. Between 1890-1914, Germany adopted a newborn aggressive contradictory policy that focused on territorial expansion called Weltpolitik. The German strange Minister, Bernhard von Blow once said Only a successful foreign policy can help to reconcile, pacify, rally, unite. Germany, as a result of this new policy, required a new larger ocean pass by in order to push their expansionist ambitions which in subprogram threatened Britains status as the universes colonial power. Consequently, Germanys Navy Laws of 1898 and 1900 upset Britain and sparked the naval Race, a race to build the largest and most advanced naval fleet which in turn deteriorated Anglo-German relations. As a result, Britain entered into alliances with France in 1904 and Russia in 1907 respectively, creating what was know as the Triple entente cordiale, meaning war with one and only(a) nation could come out into a European conflict. Additionally, Germany pursued foreign interest in Morocco, in what was to be known as the Moroccan Crisis, where he publicly inform Germanys backing of Moroccos independence. This was during the time France was hoping to colonise Morocco with British backing through the Anglo-French Entente and thus Germany hoped to disrupt this relationship, feeling that it posed a threat to Germanys world influence.Towards the end of the 19th century, Germany was undergoing rapid mass industrialisation with coal and steel production increasing. As a result German conjunction was start-off to politically shift as mass urbanisation began with many flocking to cities to work, where in that respect were ampleer inequalities among the growing working class in the cities and the country-bred aristocrats in the countryside. Discontent send as workers working long hours for short(p) pay and conditions led changes for greater democracy and rights. This led to a rise in favorableism within German society that challenged the conservative and traditional Kaiser Wilhelm and the German authorities. This rise in socialist views was exhibited by the rise of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who, repre directing the growing working class, pursued social and political change. By 1912 the SPD had 110 seats in the Reichstag as opposed to 35 seats in 1890. The German political sympathies and the Kaiser saw the SPD as a dangerous threat and would not let them the opportunity to govern contempt their majority in the Reichstag. As the SPD grew, the right-wing parties in the Reichstag on whom the Kaisers government relied were losing support. Thus the Kaiser introduced Sammlungspolitik, a domestic motion to support Weltpolitik. This was to ensure political and domestic unity in rallying together Germanys social elites (landowners, new industrialists, and the army) and encouraging patriotism and loyalty to the Kaiser and the government whilst encouraging opposition to socialism.Q2) As Europe entered the period of June August 1914 it became a diplomatic hotbed known as the July Crisis. The July Crisis coins the political and diplomatic situations following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a shut up ally of Germany. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a member of a Serbian terrorist organisation fight for Slav Independence from Austria-Hungary. Thus Austria saw this as a result attack from the Serbian government and as a result sent them an uncompromising ultimatu m or war. Germany saw this as an opportunity to push their expansionists aims and gave Austria their undecomposed backing. This uninfected Cheque, as it was known, became a key step into outbreak of the war as with Germanys full backing, Austria could push on into war with Serbia. Germany with their issue of the Blank Cheque believed Austria was ready to ignite an immediate and rapid war against Serbia condescension their wariness of Russias Dual-alliance with Serbia, potentially escalating the war into a European conflict with the Franco-Russian league causing France to support Russia. However, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, the German Chancellor, thought should a European war occur, that it was better to happen in 1914 than years later when Russia would be at a greater phalanx capacity. Although Serbia agreed to meet some of the demands of Austrias ultimatum, it did not fulfil all the terms and Austria with the blank cheque of Germany behind them, state war on Serbia on the 28th July. During these last few old age in July, the European political situation heightened to breaking point with tzar Nicholas signing motions for plans to twain partial and world-wide mobilise the Russian military despite firm warnings from Germany. On the 29th July 1914 there was telegram exchanges between the Tsar and the Kaiser regarding the newly erupted war in the Balkans. Kaiser writing Of course military measures on the part of Russia would be looked upon by Austria as a tragedy we both wish to avoidi, showing Germanys unrelenting stance. This was followed up by the Tsars state I hope from all my heart that these measures wont in any way interfere with your part as mediator which I greatly value.ii. From these telegrams both the Tsar and the Kaiser conveyed an unwavering stand that illustrates an inevitability between both nations involvement in the Balkan war. As July drew to a close, events accelerated towards war with Austria-Hungary ordering general mobilisation on the 30th July 1914 with Russia doing the same. News spread to Berlin and by the 1st August Germany had declared war on Russia and started general mobilisation, activating the Franco-Russian Alliance which meant that Germany on the 3rd August declared war on France. Part of Germanys military strategy against France was the Schlieffen Plan that involved marchland through Belgium, a neutral country. In order to help nurture Belgian neutrality, Britain had no choice but to declare war on Germany on the 4th August and so Europe was plunged into war.Q3) There are many varying interpretations on who was responsible and culpable for the origins of WW1 with two of the main differing theories being from historians Fritz Fischer and Christopher Clark. Fischer outlets the stance that sole certificate of indebtedness for the war lies with Germany while Clark on the other hand, looks at the origin of the war as a joint righteousness where all nations must take a share of the blame.Fritz , on one hand, believes that Germanys pursuit of war was just a progression of their vast, expansionist aims. He claims that Germany, in the interest of becoming a global great power, was ready to launch WW1 and that once the war had started, its aims were precise and pre-determined especially in areas of territorial gains in Central and Southern Europe. Further more(prenominal), Fischer believed that it was domestic factors that drove Germanys foreign policy as opposed to the orthodox view that it was external factors. At this time Socialism threatened the old, traditional empirical German society while industrialisation/urbanisation had caused growing inequalities between social classes which Fischer believed the Kaiser and the government wanted to resolve this through the pursuit of war. Fritz thought Germany was actively move war to solve their domestic problems at home and fulfil their expansionist aims in one swoop. In this, he believes the blame lies solely at the step of Ge rmany. On the other hand, Clarks thesis believes that a collective responsibility must be placed on all nations There is no smoking gun in this story or, rather there is one in the hands of every major characteriii. Clark states that the outbreak of the war was an accumulative result of political situations and diplomatic manoeuvres that metaphorically stumbled into a war. There is monumental evidence to support this thesis such as Russias and Germanys unwavering inexorableness to get involved in the Austro-Serbian conflict as exhibited by the Willy-Nicky telegrams.Personally, the Fischer thesis provides the more convincing theory as it is supported by more significant evidence. In my opinion, Germanys adoption of Weltpolitik, an expansionist policy, forced other nations into alliances such as Britain who formed alliances with France following the Naval Race that was subsequently caused by this policy. Additionally, this aggressive foreign policy led to diplomatic manoeuvres such as the blank cheque to Austria Hungary, a promise of full support, that with its absence whitethorn have avoided the Austro- Serbian conflict that started the war. It seemed that Germany manoeuvred themselves into a position where war was ineluctable in order to progress their expansionist aims and although many nations must take their share of the blame, it is in my opinion that Germany must take sole responsibility for the outbreak of World War 1.i The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, July-August 1914, Kaiser to Tsar (29th July 1914), History A German Foreign Policy 1890-1914, Pg. 40.ii The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, July-August 1914, Tsar to Kaiser (30th July 1914) History A German Foreign Policy 1890-1914, Pg. 40.iii Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers How Europe Went to War in 1914(London Harper Collins,2012).http//www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kaiser-wilhelm-of-germany-and-czar-nicholas-of-russia-exchange-telegramshttp//encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/germanys_blank_chequ e_to_austria-hungary