Causes of the First World War

The First World War, which began in 1914, was caused by multiple factors:

1. Militarism

• Nations were heavily focused on strengthening their military power, leading to an arms race. For example, Britain and Germany competed to build powerful navies.

2. Alliances

• Countries formed military alliances, like the Triple Entente (France, Russia, Britain) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy), which meant that conflict between two nations could quickly involve others.

3. Nationalism

• National pride and competition caused tension, especially in regions like the Balkans where various ethnic groups sought independence, contributing to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand​

4. Imperialism

• The competition for colonies created rivalries, particularly between Germany and Britain, as they both sought to expand their empires.

5. The Assassination

• The immediate spark was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist in 1914, which triggered Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia