2007-10-22 07:12:25 · 14 answers · asked by asima t 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
probably the wall street crash and hyperinflation on germany.
2007-10-22 07:14:41 · answer #1 · answered by D24 3 · 0⤊ 7⤋
Everybody wanted a war. The continent was spilt into armed camps - there had been an arms race for some time. The short term cause was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Yugoslav nationalist. The Austrians were backed by the Germans, the Serbs by the Russians. The French were allies of the Russians. The Germans attacked France in a sort of pre emptive strike (the Schlieffen plan) through Belgium. Belgium's neutrality was guaranteed by Britain.
Its like a set of dominoes toppling, but nobody wanted it to stop. Millions of men joined up enthusiastically, it would all be over by Christmas....
2007-10-22 14:21:07 · answer #2 · answered by Johnny 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Archduke Ferdinand was shot dead in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. A Serb nationalist ( Austria-Hungary had wanted for some years to "take over" Serbia, Serbs were also Slavs and allied to Russia). Ferdinand was Austrian, Austria "invaded" Serbia, Germany being part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, invaded France (Russia and therefore Serb Allie) through Belgium, which had been guaranteed neutrality by Britain, which brought France in, And Britain Guaranteeing Belgium neutrality whilst being allied to France, brought Britain in. Russia came in after Germany declared war on them and to defend the Serbs, and the rest, as they say, is History.
2007-10-22 14:42:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are no short-term causes for war. The background to all wars is a fermenting of power and take-overs.
The Assassination of the Grand Duke Ferdinand was just an excuse, NOT the cause.
2007-10-23 09:33:40 · answer #4 · answered by quette2@btopenworld.com 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
WWI was going to happens every nation was in a arms race then killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand. start the war then Germany declarations of war on Russia next France was a allies to the Russia people.
2007-10-22 16:37:49 · answer #5 · answered by cherry 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Read Barbara Tuchmann's book The Guns of August. It lays out the entire war and its causes. Interestingly enough, when someone asked the German Ambassador "What caused the war?" his response was "Ach...if we only knew".
2007-10-22 15:07:23 · answer #6 · answered by Quasimodo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo is generally cited as the trigger that started the Great War.
2007-10-22 14:17:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
.Germany supported Austria and was against Serbia,so like the other answers when a Serbian terrorist shot an Austrian dignitary etc etc
also there was a flexing of muscles from Germany and it began building a naval force even though at the time it did not need one
2007-10-22 14:26:51 · answer #8 · answered by x1 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Land expansion , jealousy of the British Empire, and power
2007-10-23 05:32:35 · answer #9 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because to
1. expand their reach on the balkan reigon ( the slav reigon)
2. to expand their colonÃes
3. to stop germany from becoming powerfull
2007-10-22 14:18:37 · answer #10 · answered by chirag 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Murder of Prince Ferdinand
2007-10-22 14:14:48 · answer #11 · answered by Jaffa1700 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋