CausesofWW1essayoutline

Hook:Mr.Fripisadvisingthatweuseourspecializedimpactcategoriestohighlight
someofthelongtermeffectsoftheGreatWar.
>Example:WorldWar1wasthecataclysmiceventwhichwouldendthelivesof10
millionyoungeuropeanmen,thereforedestroyinganentiregenerationofEuropeans.It
wouldendtheempiresofRussia,Germany,andAustriaHungary.Russiawouldresort
tocommunism,whichwouldpromptlyoutlawreligionandimposeatotalitarian
government.

HC:TheCongressofViennain1814createdanatmosphereofpeaceinEuropethat
wouldlast100years.Peacecongresseswereheldregularlyfrom18431907and,since
themid1800s,peaceorganizationshadbeenattemptingtopresentnonviolent
solutionstoEuropeantensions.Thoughtherewereclashessuchasthe
FrancoPrussianwarof1871andtheCrimeanWarof1853,warbegantobecomea
thingofthepast.However,intheyearsleadingupto1914,risingtensionsamong
Europeanpowerswouldcreateapowderkegthatrequiredonlytheslightestsparkto
startaworldwar.

Thesis:
AlthoughmilitarismsetabelligerentatmosphereinEurope,intheend,asystem
ofalliances,nationalism,andimperialismwerewhatcausedthefirstworldwar.

1. Militarism
(Concession):Thoughmilitarismreadiednationsforwar,created
tensionwithdetailedmilitaryplans,andcausedanarmsrace,intheenditdid
notplayalargeroleincausingthegreatwar
a. Createdanenvironmentreadyformodernwar
i. Militarismnotonlycalledformoreweapons,butalsomore
advancedones.WorldWaronewasacolossalstepforwardin
termsofmodernwar.
1. TankswerefirstintroducedbytheBritishin1916duringthe
BattleoftheSommeagainsttheGermans
2. Germansintroducedsubmarinesaswarshipsin1914
3. PoisongasintroducedbyGermans
4. Airplanewarfarefirstused
ii. (Analysis)Withlargearmiesandnavies,acountrywouldbemore
willingtogotowarastheyknewtheyhadabetterchanceof
achievingvictory.
b. ArmsRace
:NationsofEuropebelievedthat,tobetrulygreat,theymust
haveapowerfulmilitary.By1914,allGreatPowersexceptBritainhad
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largestandingarmies.Thebuildupoftroopscausedwarliketensionson
thecontinentthatwouldeventuallyeruptintowar
i. Riskfleettheory:AdmiralTirpitzwantedtodevelopanavyjust
strongenoughtodealacripplingblowtotheBritishnavy.
1. WhenWilhelmIIusedTirpitzstheorytobuildDreadnoughts
threateningthesupremacyofBritainsnavy,Britainjoinedin
anententewithFrancetospiteGermany.Thisalliancethen
laterdraggedBritainintothewar.
2. WilhelmIIdeclaredEverythingaboutmemustbebig.His
loveforallthingsbigisreflectedinthearmsrace
c. Generalsdevelopedhighlydetailedplanstoallowforrapidmobilization
i. PlanssuchastheSchlieffenplan(GermanyquicklydefeatsFrance
inwestthenmovesagainstRussiatotheEast)causedcountries
toreadythemselvesforwar.
1. (Analysis)Manynations,inadditiontotheirstandingarmies,
hadplanstoquicklymobilize.Countrieswouldmoreeasily
gotowarforlesssignificantreasonsiftheyarealready
prepared.
d. Concession:
MilitarismwassimplyabyproductofNationalismandother
factors.

Therefore,thereareothermoreimportantcausesofthewar.
Nationalisticbeliefsresultedineachcountrysdesiretobegreatandpowerful.
Thisledtomilitarism.Ultimately,becausemilitarismwouldnothaveexisted
withoutNationalism,alliances,imperialism,andnationalismwerethemain
threecausesofWWI.Armsracesalsodontnecessarilymeanwar,asseenin
thenucleararmsraceduringtheColdWar.

2. Alliances
:Alliancescausedthefirstworldwarbecausetheyincreasedtensions
betweenEuropeancountriesandcreatedanenvironmentwhereoneconflict
couldengulfanentirecontinent.
a. IncreasedTensions:
Inthelate19thcentury,GermanchancellorOttovon
Bismarckforgedasystemofallianceswithneighboringcountriestoisolate
France.Hebelievedtheystillwantedrevengeforthelossof
AlsaceLorraineduringtheFrancoPrussianWar(1871).Bismarckformed
thetriplealliance(Germany,AH,Italy)tomitigateanyFrenchaggression
(1879w/AH,1881w/Russia).
i.(Analysis)Withold,unsolvedtensionswovenbetweenEuropean
countries,warwasimminent.TheAlliancesformedonly
increasedthosetensionsbecauseifonecountryformedan
alliancewithanother,feelingsofbelligerencewereengendered
amongnearbynations.Asaresult,moreallianceswereformed
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(i.e.TripleEntente).Tensioncontinuallyincreased.
b. WhenAustriaHungarydeclaredwaronSerbia,Russia,anallyofSerbia,
wasbroughtintotheconflict.TheRussiansmobilizedtroopsagainst
AustriaHungaryandGermanybecausetheyassumedGermanywould
sidewithAH.Twodaysafterthewar,GermanydeclareswaronFrance
becausetheyknowthatFranceispartoftheentente.
i. (Analysis)Becauseoftheseveralalliancesthatexistedduringthe
time,manyothercountrieswerepulledintothewar.Without
Alliances,worldwarIwouldhavebeenonlybetweenAustria
HungaryandSerbiaandessentiallywouldnotbeaWorldwar.
3. Imperialism
:
I
mperialismwasamajorcauseofWWIbecauseitcreatedtensions

ontheEuropeancontinent,increasedunrestintheBalkans,andexpandedthe
Europeanconflicttoincludetheentireworld.
a. First,imperialismcreatedcompetitionandtensionamongEuropean
imperialpowers.
i. BritainandFrancebothmilitarilyopposedRussianimperialismintheCrimeanWar
(1853,initiallywasbetweenOttomansandRussia),andGreatBritainandRussia
wenttowaroverAfghanistanintheGreatGame,bothwantingAfghanistanforits
geopoliticallocationtoIndia.

ii. However,themostforebodingconflictswerebetweenfutureenemies.Thecreation
ofthenewnationsofItalyandGermanyinthe1860sand1870schallengedthe
traditionalsupremacyofGreatBritainandFranceinAfricaandAsia.Asnew
powers,GermanyandItalysawimperialexpansionasawaytolegitimizetheir
statuswithinEurope.

1. (Analysis)Whennewnationsarecreatedanddesiretoexpandtheir
empire,thepowerful,existingnationsarethreatened.Thetensionscaused
inthistimeremainedunsolvedallthewayuntilWWI.

iii. From19051906,thisconflictpannedoutintheMoroccanCrisis,
whenKaiserWilhelmIIvisitedMoroccotosupportMoroccan
independencefromFrance.Francewasangeredandsoonboth
countrieshadarmiesreadyforwarontheirborderFrancewas
supportedby
Britain,Russia,Italy,andtheUnitedStates(the
Allies),andGermanywassupportedbyAustriaHungary(another
Centralpower).
1.
(Analysis)
Althoughthisdidnotresultinwar,itheightened
tensioninEuropeevenmore.Italsoservedasanearly
decisionastowhichcountrieswouldjointogetherinthe
eventofwar.
iv. AnotherforebodingconflictrelatedtoimperialismwastheKruger
telegram,whichwasamessagesenttoBoerleadersfromtheGermans
congratulatingthemontheirrepellingaBritishattackinSouthAfrica.
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ThisinfuriatedtheBritish,whohadlongwantedimperialcontrolofthe
area.

b. Secondly,imperialismignitedthepowderkegofEurope(theBalkan
Peninsula)
i. In1908,whileSlavicnationalistswereattemptingtouniteallSlavs
ontheBalkanpeninsula,AustriaannexedBosniaandHerzegovina.
AustriasannexingthislargeSlavicpopulationangeredSerbian
leaderswhohadalsowantedcontrolofthisareabecauseofthe
largeslavicpopulation.
1. (Analysis)Thetensionsarisingfromthisannexationwere
eventuallythedirectcauseofthewar.OnJune28,1914,the
heirtotheAustroHungarianthrone,ArchdukeFranz
Ferdinand,andhiswife,Sophie,visitedthecapitalofBosnia.
Duringarideinanopencar,thetwowerekilledbyGavrilo
Princip,amemberofasecretsocietycommittedtoridding
BosniaofAustrianrule.Russia,andthentherestofEurope
werethenbroughtintotheensuingconflictandwar.Without
imperialism,thiseventneverwouldhavehappened.
c. Finally,andmostimportantly,imperialconnectionsallowedtheEuropean
wartoextendtotheentireworld.
i. TheJapanese,English,andFrenchattackedGermancoloniesin
China,Africa,andthePacificIslands.
ii. TheBritishandFrenchrecruitedtroopsfromtheircontrolinIndia,
SouthAfrica,Senegal,Egypt,Algeria,andIndochina.
iii. InFebruaryof1917,USofficialsinterceptedtheZimmerman
telegramstatingthatGermanywouldhelpMexicoreconquerthe
landithadlosttotheUnitedStatesifMexicowouldallyitselfwith
Germany.IfAmericahadntusedimperialismtoacquirenewlandin
Mexico,theUSneverwouldhavebeenpushedintothewarbythis
telegram.
1. (Analysisforall)ThepowerEuropeanNationsheldaround
theworldallowedthewartoexpandoutsideofEurope.
ImperialismtrulymadeWorldWarIaworldwar.
4. Nationalism
:Nationalismwasamajorfactorincausingthewarbecauseof
economicandterritorialcompetitionandbecauseithelpedcausetheBalkan
crisisthatwouldeventuallystartthewar.
a. NationalismheightenedtensionsinEuropebecauseofeconomic
competition.
i. In1880,Britaincontrolledabout23%oftheworld'smanufacturing
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output,comparedtoGermanys8.5%.However,inthespanof33
years,GermanywouldovertakeBritainby1913,ontheeveofthe
war,Germanycontrolled15%oftheworldsmanufacturingoutput
whileBritaincontrolled14%.
1. (Analysis)GermanywaspressuredtocatchuptoBritain.
Whenitdid,BritainwasthreatenedbyGermanywhichledto
theformationofalliancesandincreasedtension.
ii. WiththeTreatyofVersaillescameArticle231,orthewarguilt
clause.Thisplacedresponsibilityforstartingthewarentirelyon
Germanysshoulders,forcingthemtopaybillionsofdollarsin
reparations.
1. (Analysis)ThisshowsexactlywhyGreatBritainjoinedthe
war:toweakenGermanyseconomytoregainthenumber
onespotinEurope.TheyfeltthreatenedbytheGermanys
riseineconomicstrengthandwantedtoagainestablish
themselvesasdominant.
b. Territorialcompetition
i. AftertheFrancoPrussianwarin1871,Francelostcontrolofthe
AlsaceLorraineregion.
1. (Analysis)GermanyfearedthatFrancewouldseekrevenge.
Asaresult,theydecidedtocreatetheDualAlliancein1879
withAustriaHungary.Thisleadtomoretensionbetween
Europeancountriesbycontributingtotheprewar
belligerenceamongEurope.
ii. NationalismalsocausedItalytojointhewarbecausetheywantedtogainland?
iii. TheTreatyofVersaillesgaveFrancebackAlsaceLorraine,took
landfromGermany,andgavelandtoItaly
1. (Analysis)Thisprovesthatthemotiveforsomecountriesto
enterthewarwastogainbackregionslostinpreviouswars.
TheOttomansalsowantedtogetlandback,whichiswhy
theyjoinedGermany.
2. Toprovethenationalisticlandthingmoresuccinctly,Italy
joinedthealliestoexpandtheirempire,theysucceeded
becausetheydemandeditattheTreatyofVersailles
c. Balkancrisis
i. WorldpowerRussiahadcloseculturaltieswithSerbia,mainly
becauseofthelargeslavicpopulationsineachcountry.When
SerbiarefusedtheAustrianultimatumandAustriadeclaredwar,it
wasRussiathatcametotheirdefence.
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Conclusionsarebasicallyjustexpandingwhatyouintroducedinyourhook