Causes of WWI
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"The lamps are going out across Europe; we shall not see them lit in our time."
Sir Edward Grey
As a global conflict considered to be one of the greatest watersheds in geopolitical history, World War One (1914-1918) continues to cast an immense shadow over the 21st Century; its causes, course and consequences having played a large part in shaping the world we live in today. Though the outbreak of the First World War was generally welcomed with confidence and jubilation, such a war was almost unprecedented in its slaughter, carnage and destruction, as mechanised armies of young men were sacrificed in futile frontal assaults against machine guns. Over 30,000,000 soldiers were killed and wounded during the course of the war; a war causing immeasurable destruction to the economy, politics and society of Europe that no warring nation had foreseen.
The tangled threads of Nationalism highlighted by the Balkan Crises and the formation of alliances between the Great Powers led to the outbreak of WWI, and can largely be traced back to the assassination of Austria-Hungary's Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo.
Both Fetzer (2004, pp 452) and Philip (1998, pp 11) contend that the assassinations were to have a profound effect on Austria-Hungary, propelling her to take its strongest stand yet against Serbia. Rightly or not, this was seen as the underlying cause in the agitation which threatened the stability of the Empire. Because of known Russian support for the Serbs, Austria requested and received on July 5, guarantee of German support should Russia form an alliance with Serbia. Such were the mechanics resulting in a major conflict between the world's most powerful nations. From this it is clear that the alliance system was as much at fault as anything in bringing about the war...