Causes for World War One

Causes for World War OneConnor SweeneyQ1) The incitement of World War One was the solution of different factors set in motion by heterogeneous political situations with many believing Germany pursued state of warfare for aggressive reasons. Additionally, historians illustrate that Germany pursued war as a solution to domestic issues such as the rise of socialism.Many historians believe that Germany pursued war through aggressive means such as policies and diplomatic decisions. Between 1890-1914, Germany adopted a new-fang take aggressive foreign policy that focused on territorial expansion called Weltpolitik. The German inappropriate 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 naval perish in order to push their expansionist ambitions which in turn threatened Britains status as the worlds colonial power. Consequently, Germanys Navy Laws of 1898 and 1900 upset Britain and sparked the Naval Race, a run 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, substance war with one nation could escalate into a European conflict. Additionally, Germany pursued foreign interest in Morocco, in what was to be known as the Maroc Crisis, where he publicly announced 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 monastic order was beginning to politically shift as mass urbanis ation began with many flocking to cities to work, where there were greater inequalities in the midst of the growing working class in the cities and the country aristocrats in the countryside. Discontent spread as workers working long hours for poor pay and conditions led changes for greater democracy and rights. This led to a rise in Socialism within German society that challenged the conservative and tralatitious Kaiser Wilhelm and the German government. This rise in socialist views was exhibited by the rise of the Social Democratic fellowship (SPD) who, representing 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 government and the Kaiser saw the SPD as a dangerous threat and would not let them the opportunity to govern despite their majority in the Reichstag. As the SPD grew, the rightfulness parties in the Reichstag on whom the Kaisers government relied were losing supp ort. Thus the Kaiser introduced Sammlungspolitik, a domestic motion to support Weltpolitik. This was to ensure political and domestic unity in rallying in concert Germanys social elites (landowners, new industrialists, and the army) and encouraging patriotism and loyalty to the Kaiser and the government whilst encouraging op office staff 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 close ally of Germany. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a member of a Serbian terrorist organisation fleck for Slav Independence from Austria-Hungary. Thus Austria saw this as a direct attack from the Serbian government and as a result sent them an stout ultimatum or war. Germany saw this as an opportunity to push their expansionists aims and gave Austria their near backing. This Blank 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 despite their wariness of Russias Dual-alliance with Serbia, potentially escalating the war into a European conflict with the Franco-Russian Alliance causing France to support Russia. However, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, the German Chancellor, vox populi should a European war occur, that it was better to happen in 1914 than age later when Russia would be at a greater military 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 halt of Germany behind them, say war on Serbia on the 28th July. During these last few days in July, the European political situation heightened to breaking site with Tsar Nichola s signing motions for plans to twain partial and general mobilise the Russian troops 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 calamity we both wish to avoidi, showing Germanys unrelenting stance. This was followed up by the Tsars reply I hope from all my heart that these measures wont in any way inject 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 start ed 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 invent that convolute marching through Belgium, a neutral country. In order to help protect 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 chief(prenominal) differing theories being from historians Fritz Fischer and Christopher Clark. Fischer takes the stance that fillet of sole province for the war lies with Germany while Clark on the other hand, looks at the origin of the war as a collective responsibility 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 German y, 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 fundamental and Southern Europe. Furthermore, 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 pursuing war to solve their domestic problems at home and fulfil their expansionist aims in one swoop. In this, he believes the blame lies only when at the step of Germany. 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 significant evidence to support this thesis such as Russias and Germanys unwavering relentlessness 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 betrothal 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 may have avoided the Austro- Serbian conf lict that started the war. It seemed that Germany manoeuvred themselves into a position where war was inevitable 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_cheque_to_austria-hungary