Causes and Consequences of World War I (1914-1918)
World War I began on July 28th, 1914, and ended on November 11th, 1918, with the victory of the Triple Entente, also known as the Allied Powers. The war was fought between two major alliances: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria; Italy initially sided with the Central Powers but later switched sides) and the Allied Powers (France, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Romania, Serbia, and the USA). But how did it all begin?
Causes of the War
There are two main categories of causes: political and economic.
Political Causes
Eight main ideas fall under political causes:
- Patriotism
- Nationalism
- War plans
- The arms race
- Alliances
- Imperialism
- The Kaiser
- The Balkans conflict
The first, patriotism, is based on a simple idea: people wanted their country to be the best and most successful, regardless of the methods used to achieve that goal.
The second, nationalism, centers more on the state in general: some states, like Germany and Italy, were being created; others, like the Ottoman Empire, were being divided; and others, like France, were focused on reclaiming territories lost in previous wars (France had lost Alsace and Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian War, and these territories were now German).
The next three causes—war plans, the arms race, and alliances—are interconnected. War was accepted as a way for a country to achieve its goals. Some countries desired war, while others believed it was inevitable, creating a dangerous climate in Europe. Due to the imminent threat of war, countries began developing new weapons and increasing their military capabilities. Furthermore, they formed alliances to protect themselves from potential aggressors. The two most prominent alliances were the Triple Alliance (later known as the Central Powers), consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, with the objective of isolating France; and the Triple Entente (later known as the Allied Powers), consisting of France, Great Britain, and Russia, with the objective of breaking out of isolation. Smaller alliances also existed, such as those between Britain and Belgium, Russia and Serbia, Britain and Japan, Italy and France (although Italy was initially part of the Triple Entente, it was also in competition with Austria-Hungary for control of the Adriatic Sea, which is why Italy eventually joined the Central Powers), and Germany and the Ottoman Empire.
Imperialism is linked to colonization. Great Britain was the primary colonial power at the time, but Germany’s desire for more colonies created tension between the two nations. One example of this tension was the Scramble for Africa. Until 1870, Great Britain held strategic and economic power in Africa. However, after 1870, other countries began establishing colonies on the continent. These colonies provided resources such as diamonds, cloves, spices, gold, silver, ivory, slave labor, copper, and rubber. However, this colonization did not occur without conflict. In 1884, the Berlin Conference was held to address the tensions arising from the competition for colonies. Organized by Otto von Bismarck, the conference involved 14 countries. Its consequences included the establishment of the principle of effective occupation (meaning that a colonizing country had to actively administer its colony, not merely claim possession), the strengthening of Germany’s position, the division of Africa primarily between France and Great Britain, and a reduction in the potential for conflict over colonial territories.
The Kaiser’s role is another contributing factor. As Germany gained power and influence, its rivals grew suspicious of Kaiser Wilhelm II, believing he sought to expand German power at any cost.
The final and perhaps most significant cause was the Balkans conflict. The Balkans were under the control of the Ottoman Empire. In 1830, Greece gained independence from the empire. Inspired by Greece’s success, other Balkan countries began fighting for their own independence, weakening the Ottoman Empire. Austria-Hungary and Russia, located near the Balkans, saw an opportunity to exploit this weakness. However, Great Britain, concerned about the expansion of these empires, intervened in the conflict.
Consequences of the War
The war had devastating social, economic, and political consequences.
Social Consequences
The social consequences of the war were dire. Over 8.5 million soldiers died, and the number of wounded was double that figure, with many suffering lifelong disabilities. Famine threatened many regions, and a deadly influenza pandemic in 1918 spread globally within months, killing over 20 million people.
Economic Consequences
are not also good. Governments raised taxes and borrowed huge amounts of money to pay the costs of the war, the food and other foods (from boots to gasoline) were rationed, they controlled the prizes of everything and they threatened strikers.
Finally, in the politic aspects we can see the propaganda war waged by Central and Allied powers. This propaganda was created to manipulate people’s attitude towards a war, and it can be both pro and anti. German people learned to sing a “Hymn of Hate” against the British, whereas in the other band Germany’s invasion of Belgium was considered as a barbarous act. Furthermore, in the British and French press circulated tales of atrocities, which were horrible acts against innocent people.