What were the most important causes and least important causes of World War I?

Question

Please, rank them from most important to least important

Answer 1

It is very hard to distinguish which factors are more and less important because in they end they all built up to a World War.
Probably the biggest concern was all the alliances which tied European countries together, it was to say the least a tangled web, and this was mad even more complicated by the fact that many of the royal family's at the heads of these countries in Europe were related to one another. For the years running up to the war tension had been growing across Europe as it had done in the mid 18th century. It was for very similar reasons too, Great Britain had hit its zenith a sa world power, over one quarter of the globe was ruled by Britain and she was the most powerful and wealthy country in the word. Her military strength lay in the powere of her navy, these were the days when Britannia ruled the waves and the strongest fleet was essential to maintain her position. However by 1913 Germany and America had overtaken output of Britain in some of the major industries like coal and steel. Britain had been the first country to undergoe the industrial revolution, noe her factories were old and countries like the USA and Germany were developing mass industry at an unstoppable rate and Britains ageing industrial infrastructure was outmoded by oversdeas competition.
Countries like the USA had benefitted from mass migration to that country of many able people and had the ready numbers of people to build a vast workforce. Germany had only been founded in 1881 from the merger of many small states, its Kaiser was keen that Germany should take a leading role on the world stage. The Kaiser Wilhelm II was intensly jelous of Britain's vast Empire, he built his navy up in order to try and compete with Britain, but Britain just commissioned the building of more ships as they saw it as simply vital to the defence of their empire. The Kaiser who was Queen Victoria's grandson, a nephew of Edward VII and cousin to George V was a very coplex character, he dearly loved his British family, but was jelous of their status on the world stage. Every effort he made to surpass Britains military might was stopped by Britain continuing to build up her military. Wilhelm II took this as a personal insult from his uncle King Edward VII and until the war he became more isolated from his relatives in the British royal family. This arms race between the two countries was only ever going to end one way, in war. The same thing happened between France and Britain in the 18th century when they both raced to build the best Empire, the clash reulted in Britain becoming all powerful, now the johnny come lately Germany was ready to stand up to the plate and challange Britains divine right to be masters of the world. Edward VII concluded the Entente Cordiale between Britain and France, which allied them against German expansion, the kaiser did not take well to this either.
On the other side of Europe was St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia at the time, Russia was ruled by an absolute monarch Nicholas II, another royal cousin of bothe King George V and Wilhelm II of Germany. Nicholas was a weak man and he was always ready to listen to any advise, usually bad advice though. His cousin the German monarch wanted to make a pact with him as he thaught that absolute monarchs should stand united in the face of democracy, which he regarded as madness. Nicholas II was the most politically powerful of these three cousins, but he did not have a clue how to rule an empire a svast as Russia and made one mistake after another, leading to a deep resentment by the Russian people. And then there was the Austro-Hungarian Empire headed by Franz Josef of the the Hapsburg dynasty, Austria was in control of the states in the Balkans and it was a mismatch empire mad eup of lots of different peoples, only held together by its monarchy. One of the Balkan states occupied by Austria was Serbia, and on the 28th of June 1914 a Serbian nationalist assasinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarijevo. He was heir to the Austrian throne, and Austria prepared to attack Serbia in revenge for the murder of the heir.
This was what pulled the trigger finally after years of building up tension, Europe was ready to explode. Austria was determined to get revenge, however Russia was the protector of Slavic peoples and were allied to Serbia, if Emperor Franz Josef was to attack Serbia the Tsar decreed that Russia would have to go to war with Austria. This made Austria think twice, but Germany gave Austria its backing and demanded that the Tsar demobilise his army. The Tsar had been quite decisive (for a change) about mobilising and would not back down until he saw that the Serbs would be unharmed. Austria was spurred on by Germany and did not need to be asked twice, Austria went to was with Serbia and Russia declared war on them for doing so, and Germany had also declared war on Russia (the kaiser declared war on his own cousin) and also on Russia's ally France who would have attacked Germany from the south. The entente cordiale with France meant that Britain was obliged to side with France in the fight for democracy and, thereafter the rest of the world allingned themselves behind the two sides. And the rest is history.

Answer 2

Read "War is a Racket" by retired Marine Corps General Smedley Butler. He breaks it down, and explains that all the reasons you've ever heard are lies. The real reason for WWI was money. He even gives examples of who made the most for WWI. You can read it for free even.

Answer 3

1> Alliances
2> war plans based on Timetables (e.g schlieffen plan)
3> Balkan crisis

i would also give some importance to the arms race

Answer 4

The Most important cause for WWl,was Freedom, as it is what we fight for today.

this country has lost more blood for the cause of freedom,than all the other countries combined.(Senator Fred Thompson)

I would say, the least important cause, , well there's not one. If it were to have to nameone, i suppose it would be to prove we were a stand up for what is right & volunteer country.People did volunteer. & my father & his brothers volunteered for WWll together.

We were there to get the job done,no matter what the cost, we weren't leaving til we got through with our cause. & we didnt, & we don't . We fight for freedom. there cost, but great is the cause!

Answer 5

i sure am seeing alot of homework questions.
whatever happened to figuring it out for yourself.

Answer 6

http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/index.htm