Why did WW1 break out in 1914?
In this essay I will be outlining the key points of how and why the First World War broke out in 1914, explaining why the long term causes may have had some part in it as well as the short term causes and their role in the whole ordeal. However, what has to be decided is whether the long term causes are a bigger part of why the First World War broke out or if it was the short term causes were more involved in the First World War and I will be express my views on the matter. Also, I will be interpreting if the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was the real reason why all of the war happened or if it was just the tip of the iceberg; and if the triple alliance and the triple entente risked relationships with the oppositions for nothing. {draw:frame} The main long term cause of world war one was national rivalries, numerous arms races, the alliances in Europe and the fight for the most power. Rivalries formed between Britain and Germany as both countries wanted more than what the other had. One example of this is that in 1906 Britain started to make ‘Dreadnoughts’ and when Germany found out about this they made it their mission to craft more than England. This rivalry is also and arms race. By the time the war started Britain had 29 Dreadnoughts which was 12 more than Germanys; this gave Britain a slight upper hand. {draw:frame} The short term causes of World War 1 are The German von Schlieffen Plan of invading France through Belgium and then later defeating Russia in the space of a few months left German diplomats very little room to settle any disputes--especially if Russia or France mobilized. France and Britain had to support Russia in the 1914 crisis. In 1908, they had both been lukewarm friends to Russia in the Bosnian Crisis. They worried Russia would cut a deal with Germany and leave them isolated if they did not support Russia in the 1914 crisis. Germany was in the same situation with Austria for lukewarm support in...