The War to End all Wars

How did rivalries and ideological conflicts lead to world war?

Aaminah Khan
10 A
World War I, known as the Great War, was one of the bloodiest and horrible wars fought
in the history of this world that involved most of the European countries, and many other nations
of the world. It was a battle fought for honor and dignity as a purpose to resolve all international
and internal conflicts. Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, diplomatic
leaders sought to save their honor by taking revenge through war. Initially, thought to be a short,
small conflict, the war intensified as the tangle of alliances brought many countries to the
battlefront and the introduction of new, deadly weapons and tactics such as poisonous gases, U-
Boats, tanks, and trench warfare, made it more horrific and deadly. Imperialism, militarism,
alliances and nationalism were some of the factors that contributed to this deadly conflict.
In 1914, Great Britain, Germany, and France were the main powers that dominated over
world industry. There was strong rivalry between them as they competed for world influence and
power. Imperialism played a major role in this rivalry as countries raced to Africa for raw
materials and colonies. Germany competed with Great Britain for markets and materials since it
envied Britains navy and empire, on which the sun never set. As a result, it started building up
its navy and increased its military. Also, there was strong competition between Germany and
France as each sought to control Morocco, in northern Africa. On the other hand, the Austrians
were interested in expanding its empire over to Serbia. All of this sowed the seed for the eruption
of the Great War.
The race for world influence threatened peace; and insecurity and a fear of losing power
lead European nations to mobilize. Countries built up their military by adding more newly
advanced weapons in order to show that they were far better than other nations and they deserved
more respect. This competition for power and influence, known as the Arms Race, lead to the
formation of alliances between countries. Austria formed an alliance with Germany in order to
secure a supply route to Turkey. Germanys navy buildup scared Great Britain and, therefore
caused it to begin mobilizing in case of any attack. According to Germany, France was a threat
to peace as it believed that it still wanted revenge for a previous war. So, it formed an alliance
with Austria-Hungary and Italy and also made a treaty with Russia, which was later lapsed. This
was to isolate France from any alliances. The treaty between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and
Italy became known as the Triple Alliance, whereas, France, wary of Germany, allied with
Russia and Britain forming the Triple Entente. There were so many different treaties and
alliances that if war was to break out, they would all have to go to war together. Thus, any war
would be a massive one.
Nationalism was also a major factor in contributing to World War I. Nationalists wanted
their nation recognized as an independent country. It brought people sharing a common
language, history, and heritage to come together. However, it also helped encourage countries to
break away from other countries or from the empires that it was under and form their own,
independent countries. The Balkan Peninsula, known as the Powder Keg of Europe, threatened
peace because of Slavic nationalism. The Serbs were able to gain a great deal of power in the
Balkan region. They were very strong nationalists and wanted the unification of all Slavs.
Bosnians, controlled by Austria-Hungary, were Slavs as well and they wanted to join Serbia.
Austria felt threatened by the increasing power of the Serbs and planned to end it by force. On
the other hand, Serbia was infuriated with Austrian control over Bosnia. Therefore, on June 24
th

1914, Gavrilo Princip, a young Serbian nationalist and terrorist, shot and killed Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne. This assassination ignited and erupted into World War
I. Nationalism added to the tangle of alliances brought the world to the battlefront.
The war to end all wars was a total war, known for its great violence, brutal
manslaughter and destruction. It caused heavy casualties of civilians and soldiers, destroyed
countries and resulted in deep scars that would never heal. The Treaty of Versailles, in 1918,
finally ended the conflict. It seemed that the world had learnt a lesson and there was no way
future generations would make the same mistake. Unfortunately, the treaty that ended this war
would lay the foundation for the next world war.