how did imperialist and economic rivalries among European powers caused WW1?
2007-05-05 15:18:42 · 2 answers · asked by huichongkim61 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
There were a lot of new developments in weaponry which led to a deep yearning for each country's people to feel "strong" and "secure", nurturing their senses of nationalism and pride. The growing military powers formed alliances to further add to their prowess. Then when a Serbian assassinated the arch duke of Austria-Hungary, the spark ignited the conflict. Austria held Serbia responsible. Russia, feeling Slovak pride, stepped in to defend Serbia. Germany felt a kinship with the Austro-Hungarians (forgive me I don't have a name for the ethnicity but it was the same that led Hitler to believe that other Eastern Europeans were truly German). England and France felt threatened by the Germans aggression... and it was "everybody in the pool!"
2007-05-05 15:34:31 · answer #1 · answered by gojersey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Britain and Germany did not think the seas were big enough for both of them. For many years Brittania ruled the waves. Then Germany started building a Navy which was getting as large as Britain's. They both antagonized each other and made all those alliances. Because of all those non agression treaties they had signed with other countries when the Archduke Ferdinand was shot it caused a domino effect.
The assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand was just the pretext to start the war that was going to happen eventually because of the hostility between Germany and Britain.
2007-05-06 00:24:16 · answer #2 · answered by Shirley T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋