World War I need help with this question?

Question

During the 20 years prior to this war, the dominant countries seemed to be destined for conflict. Because of imperialism and extreme cases of nationalism, many historians believe this war was actually desired by many countries. What do you think the various countries had to gain from fighting in this war? In addition, do you think these countries failed to consider this new type of warfare? Consider various countries (Germany, Austria-Hungary, USA, Great Britain, France) when typing your answer.

Answer 1

WW One was about the "have and have-not nations". It pitted the large nations with lots of land (USA, Russia) and big empires (France, Belgium, England) against the nations that did not have a lot of land or empires (Germany, Italy, Austria) Since empire building was done by force of arms, the nations that did not have Empires felt the only way they could get empires, since everything was already taken, was to take it from those other nations that had lands.

No one considered the new type of warfare. They were fighting wars using the techniques of the 1800s without considering the weapons of the 1900s.

Both sides would order massive frontal assaults even though they knew the other side had machine guns that would cut the troops down.

Submarines could not stand up to even a small deck gun on a ship such as the Lusitannia (listed as a light cruiser by the British Admiralty) so had to fire torpedo salvos, and not give the passengers time to abandon ship.

Airplanes and blimps went over the front lines and attacked civilian targets behind. Up to this time, wars were fought on fronts between soldiers and civilians were safe.

Poison gas introduced a whole new weapon, one that we still have not dealt with in any effective manner other than to try to ban them.

The nations with empires wanted to keep them,, the nations without empires wanted them. WW One happened be cause everyone was ready for a fight and they just were waiting for an excuse.

Answer 2

Germany got into imperialistic colony acquisition rather late, it felt economically endangered by Britain's and France's successes in building their colonial empires. That would have been one German motivation for war. From what I have read, it seems that Europe had been at peace long enough that nobody really remembered how horrible war actually is, so the public appetite for blood and war was rather high. Absolutely nobody expected the war, once it started, to be as long, bloody, and costly as it turned out to be. Most importantly, it made the US rich. The US had been a second tier player until that time, but the war made Europe poor and put it in debt to the US--a condition that existed until our own recent venture into imperialistic war. War should never be undertaken lightly. Never. That is the great lesson of World War One.

Answer 3

What do you mean by this new style of warfare?

Trench warfare??

In the early part of WW1 it was more of a fire and move forward style of affair, as it became apparent the combatants dug in and started a defensive war.

The French and Belgians were on the defensive with the help of the British and in 1917 the USA, until then the brunt was born by the French & British, Belgians and British.

Italy was more or less on their own trying to contain the Austro-Hungarians moving into northern Italy and ontowards Rome (The further-most point the A-H got was near to Venice, I believe.) Later they received British reinforcements.

In the part of the world where the confict started (intiated by Serbian officers) the Austro-Hungarians were pushing the Serbians back, in 1916 Romania entered the war and AH + B forces then started to move into Romanian territory, in fact managing to push the Romanians and their Russian allies back to and beyond Bucharest, this took some of the preasure of the Serbians.

I dont think anybody willingly went to war except the aggresor's Austria who saw this as a way to punish Serbia and bring them into ruling a larger part of the Balkans, thus filling a vacum left by the Ottoman Empire.

Prussia andd its satilite states saw this as a chance to enlarge German interests in Europe, and possibly gain more ground in German East-Africa.
Kaiser Wilhelm II was always jealous of the British and French colonial empires.

That the war dragged on so long was probably a surprise to all, but the Prussian Military High-Command under Luddendorf and Hindemberg were to stubbon to back-down particularly as both men new they had no chance to win after the uSA entered the war with its large manpowere reserve and vast stocks of equipment.

Germany suffered great manpower shortages and material shortages, the German population suffered because of the blockade on shipping, however no actual combat was fought on German soil so the German population had no idea of the brute face the war could present unlike the French & Belgian populations on the Western Front.

(Possibly if the German civil population had had a taste of the war in all its full fury, they would not have been so quick to support Adolf Hitler and his madcap schemes of taking over Europe and WW2).

The populations of Romania, Hungary, Serbia, also suffered from the war, in variying degress from being subject to actual shooting and bombing to being ravaged by starvation and disease.

Answer 4

WWI was definitely something that many countries wanted. there is no doubt that Germany wanted this war the most though.

Answer 5

Most wars are fought for expansionist and or resource aquiring motives.

Answer 6

Brandon, we're not doing your homework for you.

Answer 7

Brandon A do your own homework please.