Who are we to blame for starting World War 1

Who do you think should be blamed for starting World War 1? (Multiple Choice)

  • Great Britain

    Votes: 4 16.0%

  • France

    Votes: 3 12.0%

  • Germany

    Votes: 7 28.0%

  • Austria-Hungary

    Votes: 13 52.0%

  • Serbia

    Votes: 10 40.0%

  • Russia

    Votes: 7 28.0%

  • Other / I don't know

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • Total voters
    25
Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller

Active member
History of Europe leading to World War 1​

About 100 years ago, Europe lived under a constant fear that a "Great War" would begin. During the late 1800s, the politics of Europe has drastically changed with the unification of Germany, unification of Italy, the growing Russian Empire, and the already declining Ottoman Empire. There are of course many factors that would lead to World War 1. Both Great Britain and Germany had undergone a rapid boost in their navy, Europe being divided into two alliances (Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance), European Imperialism in Africa, and the rise of nationalism in places such as the Balkans and the idea that Europeans in one nation were better than Europeans in another. However, who are we to blame for the start of World War 1?

Main Causes of World War 1 by Nation​

Great Britain:

  • Great Britain engaging in a naval arms race with Germany that resulted in increased military spending
  • Great Britain expanding it's empire into Africa that tried to rival Germany
  • Great Britain's involvement in being part of the Triple Entente (a military alliance with Great Britain, France, and Russia)


France:

  • France's desire for revenge against the Germans for the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War
  • France wanted to reclaim Alsace-Lorraine from Germany after losing it in the Franco-Prussian War
  • France expanding it's empire into Africa
  • France's involvement in being part of the Triple Entente (a military alliance with Great Britain, France, and Russia)
  • France mobilizing in August 1, 1914


Germany:

  • German Unification making Germany a threat to the balance of power in Europe
  • Rapid German industrialism rivaled Great Britain's steel production (making Germany into an economic power house)
  • Germany declaring war on France during the Franco-Prussian War
  • Germany's involvement in being part of the Triple Alliance (a military alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy)
  • Germany declaring supports Austria-Hungary rights in the (already unstable) Balkans
  • Germany declares war on Russia; invades France along with Belgium (bringing Great Britain into World War 1)


Austria-Hungary:

  • Austria-Hungary's involvement in the Balkan Wars (making the empire a key figure in the already unstable Balkans)
  • Austria-Hungary annexing Bosnia during the Balkan Wars
  • Austria-Hungary's involvement in being part of the Triple Alliance (a military alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy)
  • Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum (basically a list of demands) to Serbia for the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Joseph, heir to the Austrian throne that would be impossible for any nation to accept in the first place (excuse for declaring war on Serbia)
  • Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia for rejecting the ultimatum


Serbia:

  • Rise of Serbian nationalism
  • May or may not have aided the assassins who killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand
  • Rejecting the ultimatum sent by Austria-Hungary (most likely justified)


Russia:

  • Russia declaring war on the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War in order to support revolts against the already crippling Ottoman Empire
  • Russia's desire to expand into the Balkans
  • Russia's involvement in being part of the Triple Entente (a military alliance with Great Britain, France, and Russia)
  • Russia being an obstacle to German and Austrian expansion into the Balkans
  • Russia mobilizing its military in July 30, 1914
  • Russia wanting to defend Serbia from Austria-Hungary (Great Britain and France really didn't care much if Serbia was invaded but Russia did)

 
A project that I've been working on for the last 5 days. The research was intense but quite rewarding in the end.

But to answer the poll, I think we can blame Germany, Austria-Hungary, Serbia, and Russia as the main reasons to starting World War 1. Germany was posing a real threat to its neighbors not to mention being involved in a naval arms race with Great Britain. Austria-Hungary was trying to get itself involved in foreign affairs in the Balkans. They were trying to take land from nations that had recently declared themselves independent from the Ottoman Empire. Serbia had extreme nationalists who just really hated Austria-Hungary.

And as for Russia, like boi! They got themselves involved with everything related to the Balkans. They wouldn't stop with their territorial expansion that probably made World War 1 into a global war. Not to mention that Russia was the only nation in the Triple Entente Alliance that wanted to get itself involved in Balkan affairs. Great Britain and France really didn't care about Austria-Hungary invading Serbia, but Russia did.

World War 1 Log​

Austria-Hungary ︻デ═一 Serbia​

Germany ︻デ═一 Russia​

Germany ︻デ═一 France​

Germany ︻デ═一 Belgium​

Great Britain ︻デ═一 Germany​

Austria-Hungary ︻デ═一 Russia​

Used Hacks ------> Serbia ︻デ═一 Germany (lol :P )​

Great Britain ︻デ═一 Austria-Hungary​

France ︻デ═一 Austria-Hungary​

Austria-Hungary ︻デ═一 Belgium​

Japan ︻デ═一 Germany​

Japan ︻デ═一 Austria-Hungary​

...​
 
It's always Austria.

How many world wars started on Mars? Zero. Saturn? Zero. Pluto? Zero. Earth? Two.

What planet has Austria? Yep.

 
I think to a degree it was an inevitable product of how Europe was organized at the time, once all the "available" colonial land was filled up, the Western Europeans were bound to run into each other, and the Eastern Europeans had far too many revanchist and nationalist overlaps for the peace to last a long time. Now, if I have to choose a nation to blame, I'm going to put it on Germany. Germany had been managing the situation well under Bismarck, but given time without him, the situation got out of their control, and since they were the ones who shook up the post Napoleonic order, it was in a sense on them to hold it together. This is nowhere close to being as cut and dry as II, but I think that's where I'd go with it. Everybody else was ultimately engaged in smaller crises, Germany to me brought it to the level of general European War.

 
 
You missed out that Russia was going through military reforms that would, by 1919, mean that Germany could no longer hold it's eastern border and thus it's high command needed a war with Russia before the reforms played out or forever loose supperiority in the East.

 
We should be blaming the Black Hand organisation, who's assassin killed the arch duke Franz Ferdinand. 

Thats what sparked tensions. 

Can gave Austria Hungary the caus belli to attack Serbia. 

Of cause the MAIN reasons are 

Miltarilsm 

Aliences 

Imperialism 

Nationalism

 
as the lead in to the poll states, there was a combination of things that led to WW I, no single one would have caused the great war.

 
It was the Ottoman Empire's fault, of course. If they weren't such losers Serbia would have been under their control and it would have been fine!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
There is no doubt that elements of Serbia's state were involved in Black hands however, Austria's used FF's death as an excuse to humiliate Serbia and issue conditions that NO state could or would accept.

 
Simon Susarte said:
Except everythign seems to radiate from the assassination of the Arch duke Franz Ferdinand. 
Click to expand...


The assassination of the Arch duke was a direct cause of the war. If the event hadn't occurred, Europe would just find another excuse to start World War 1. Even a fart would've caused the war.

 
Back
Top