Causes Of World War I History Writing Assignment

Causes Of World War I
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Causes Of World War I
It is known that the First World War started right after the Archduke of Austria, and it is interesting to learn that the conflict was fueled by factors, which dated back to as early as 1900. Knowing what happened before and after the war can help to foster a better comprehension of the various political forces that fueled the war and how various world leaders failed to reach a meaningful understanding after the war. Hence, the involvement of the United States in the war should be explored along with other warring nations. WWI was influenced by the boxer rebellion of the 1900s in China, imperialism, militarism and nationalism and the entry of America into the conflict, which changed the aspects of the nations involved in the war.
The boxer rebellion of 1900 in China is among the various reasons, which influenced World War I. At the time, thousands of international troops were assembled to fight the Chinese boxers who had declared war on foreigners occupying Beijing. Austria-Hungary, France, United States, Russia, Britain, and Japan sent troops, and it became a competition between the major powers (Musolff, 2017). Foreigners took possession in China at a time when the Qing dynasty was growing weak. The boxer rebellion acted as a forerunner of the First World War because significant powers were competing to increase their influence in China (Musolff, 2017). In addition, it was during this rebellion that European powers adopted the concept of mutual defense arrangements. The signed agreements would benefit a country that has gone to war since other nations guaranteed support in the signed agreement.
Imperialism is characterized when country brings other foreign nations under their rule as a means to gain more resources and power. Before the First World War started, European nations occupied Africa and some parts of Asia and conflicts were common in the long march towards expansion. The main reason for the contention between the European powers was the availability of raw materials available in the new territories. According to Lyons (2016), the early years of the 20th-century militarism became an important indicator of power in Europe and most countries in the region began to increase their military strength. As 1914 approached, Germany had distinguished itself as the country with the fastest growth in the military sector (Lyons, 2016). During this time, Germany and Great Britain had increased their naval power. In countries such as Russia and Germany, the military continued to gain more control over policy matters in their countries.
One of the primary reasons for the start of the war was the persistence of the Slavic people in both Bosnia and Herzegovina struggle to be recognized as Serbians and end its ties with their colonial masters, Austria Hungary. Pan-Slavist nationalism played a pivotal role in the dissolution of the Austrian empire, which had established its rule over Slav nationalities (Lyons, 2016). As Lyons (2016) notes, the Pan-Slavists believed that it was Russia’s historical mission to dominate the Western Europe region and Slavs would participate in the mission. In return, Slavs asked...