US History Blog: WWI Causes

WWI Causes

The first main causes of WWI were militarism, alliance system, imperialism, and nationalism. Militarism is the belief in building up a strong armed forces to prepare your country for war. Countries in Europe as well as Russia were building up their armies preparing for a war that was about to begin. Allowing them to fight well in the war. Alliance System was created when countries agreed to support one another in case of an attack. 2 alliances would emerge: Triple Entente [France, Britain, and Russia (US would eventually join)] (good) and Triple Alliance [Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy] (bad). These alliances together created a huge force that allowed for much more massive attacks on objectives. Imperialism, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia all scrambled for colonies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Each nation wanted new trade markets and the raw materials of these new regions. Nationalism which is pride or devotion to one's country. Nationalism encouraged unity, and also would put nation against nation. Linking it to the war.

The spark of WWI was the assassination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. The assassination occurred on June 28, 1914 while Ferdinand was visiting the city of Sarajevo in the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Austria wanted to start a war but first made sure Germany was at their back. Which Germany was, allowing Austria-Hungary to spark WWI.

Unrestricted Submarine warfare in WWI was started in 1915 by Germany when they used U-Boats to sink the Lusitania on May 7, 1915. It went on for three years against Britain and its allies. This was also ultimately one of the main reasons the United States joined the war.

The RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner, holder of the Blue Riband for briefly being the world's largest ship. In 1915 it was sunk by a German U-Boat (U20), causing the death of 1,198 passengers and crew. Again, ultimately one of the reasons the United States joined the war.

The Sussex pledge was a plea from Germany to the United States in 1916 during World War I. Early in 1916, Germany had instituted a policy known as unrestricted submarine warfare allowing armed merchant ships – but not passenger ships – to be torpedoed without warning. Despite this restriction, a French cross-channel passenger ferry, the Sussex, was torpedoed without warning on March 24, 1916; the ship was severely damaged and about 50 lives were lost. Although no U.S. citizens were killed in this attack, it prompted President Wilson to declare that if Germany were to continue this practice, the United States would break diplomatic relations with Germany. Fearing the entry of the United States into World War I, Germany attempted to appease the United States by issuing, on May 4, 1916, the Sussex Pledge, which promised a change in Germany’s naval warfare policy. The primary elements of this pledge were:

Passenger ships would not be targeted;
Merchant ships would not be sunk until the presence of weapons had been established, if necessary by a search of the ship;
Merchant ships would not be sunk without provision for the safety of passengers and crew.

The Zimmermann Telegram was a 1917 diplomatic proposal from the German Empire for Mexico to join the Central Powers, in the event of the United States entering World War I. The proposal was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence. The contents outraged American public opinion and helped generate support for the United States to declare war on Germany in April of that year. Zimmermann sent the telegram in anticipation of the resumption by Germany on 1 February, an act which Germany predicted would draw the neutral U.S. into war on the side of the Allies The telegram instructed Ambassador Eckardt that if the U.S. appeared likely to enter the war, he was to approach the Mexican Government with a proposal for military alliance, with funding from Germany. Mexico was promised territories in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona that had been lost to the United States starting in 1836 as parts of the former Republic of Texas. Eckardt was also instructed to urge Mexico to help broker an alliance between Germany and the Japanese Empire. Mexico, unable to match the U.S. military, ignored the proposal and (after the U.S. entered the war), officially rejected it.