why did people in early 1900's think war was unlikely?

Answer 1

In 1815 at the Congress of Vienna, the major powers of Europe had managed to produce a peaceful balance of power among the empires after the Napoleonic wars. Just because of all those alliances, and the growing economy, many people thought wars would be limited to the colonies and the fringes of Europe, like the Crimean War, one of the consequences of the waning power of the Ottoman Empire.

Answer 2

The early 1900's was a time for optimism. Things were changing all over. Queen Victoria who reigned for 64 years was dead. Technology was starting to prosper. Crossing the Atlantic now took a matter of days on the great Cunard Liners, man had flown in the air, Europe was friendly. Italy was now a unified country. Evey one was getting along aside from the odd conflict in the colonies of various powers. The Boer War and the Crimean War for instance. Life was good and getting better for many. No one could imagine the horror to come as it had never been seen before in the history of humanity.But, as the new century progressed after the death of Queen Victoria, the grandmother of Europe, her grandchildren now in power and cousins no longer had Her to keep them loyal. Secret and not so secret alliances and treaty's were formed in case hostilities broke out. It was a time for open optimism, but also a time of watching your own back just incase the unthinkable happened, which it did in the second decade of the new century.

Answer 3

They did think war was likely .
There was an arms race going on.pricipally between Britain and Germany.
Germany was building a Navy to challenge Britain on the oceans of the world because the Kaiser had ambitions to aquire an Empire to match the one ruled over by his cousin King Edward VIII.
The rest of Europe was busy forming alliances to protect themselves in case war broke out.
The major nations had detailed plans in place for the mobilisation of armies at a moments notice.
When the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 all these plans and alliances came to be implemented.

Answer 4

Because there had been 100 years of relative peace. The idea that all of Europe would be embroiled in a single, gigantic conflict was unthinkable.

Answer 5

Which people did you mean? Not sure how to answer.