Download Causes of War

Causes of War
Nationalism
A century ago, Europeans felt great pride in their own nations - a feeling
called nationalism. Citizens were expected to be devoted and loyal to their
own nation.
 A willingness to do whatever was necessary when your country called upon
you
Imperialism
Each nation put itself first and competed jealously with the other European
powers. For example, Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany all sent
explorers and soldiers to claim colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. This
policy of extending a country's rule over other countries or territories is called
imperialism. The colonies were used to enhance the prestige of the "mother
country." They were also a cheap supply of resources and food. Relations
among nations were full of distrust, disagreement, and military threats as
European countries carved up the face of the globe in the late 19th century.
The Arms Race
A century ago there was no United Nations to help settle disputes
between countries. Instead, European nations kept armies ready in case
they wanted to settle things by force. As tensions grew, nations built u p
their military power.
 This included building new and bigger weapons to keep ahead of other nations
 Bigger ships with bigger guns
 Bigger bombs
 New weapons for killing such as machine guns, tanks and chemical weapons
Alliance Systems
As tensions mounted in Europe, rival countries started looking for friends called allies - that they could count on for military help. Step by step, two
alliance systems developed, each with three powerful members.
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance (or the Allies)
in the centre of Europe.
Arranged around them was the Triple Entente, consisting of Britain, France,
and Russia. These alliances were dangerous, because any conflict between
two rival powers could quickly draw four more countries into the fight.