Competition Between European Superpowers

History Final Essay Name Institution Date History Final Essay During the period of 1914, the world was dominated by specific European nations and the rise of world superpowers like the United States, Britain, France, German and Japan, caused tension among these nations. Although nationalism had a big impact during this period, competition between European superpowers resulted in countries turning on one another. The United States of America, Britain, and France were among the dominant nations. The three nations used their position to advance their nationalism ideologies. German and Italy had different interest; they preferred war as means of acquiring more land to be on the same level with countries like France and Britain. The conflicting interests among the dominant nations in Europe resulted in two great wars. The World War I became an important marker in history because it ushered in a new era. Although the impact of the First World War was destructive, it also resulted in new development, creating not only independent countries, but also international organizations to foster peace. The onset of world war in 1914 was as a result of years of tension among European superpowers, in the late nineteenth century, the tension intensified as different ideologies of nationalism set the stage for the First World War. World War I was the most destructive war in history; the enormous losses incurred by all the countries who participated in the war influenced their attitude towards war. However, the First World War also ushered in a new era; new nations like Poland, Serbia, and Belgium were created. The idea of nationalism played a major role in the two wars. Germany wanted to revenge following the harsh terms imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Italy wanted more land, hence used extreme nationalist ideologies to water down the post world war I peace initiatives. The First World War was an important marker in the world history because it resulted in a series of events that facilitated initiatives that later fostered peace. Other nation's powers were reduced while other nations like the United States and Japan rose to power. However, it is the treaty of Versailles signed by these nations at the end of the First World War that played an important role. The Treaty of Versailles changed the nature of international relations, setting the stage for The Second World War. In 1919, several nations gathered in Versailles in France to come up with a lasting solution that would replace the old system. Many European countries supported the need for cooperation. The principle of self-determination became the main agenda, European nations agreed on the need to create independent nations, free from outside interference. Although a total of 42 nations participated in the event in Versailles, three nations, namely Britain represented by David Lloyd George, Clemenceau of France and President Wilson Woodrow from the US dominated the proceedings, other countries like Russia were not represented. President Woodrow Wilson championed for self-determination proposing the “fourteen points" that dealt with territorial and political dispute resolution. The main agenda of the fourteen points focused on self-determination and preventing war in the future .The...