Why were tensions among nations of the industrialized world rising in the years leading up to World War I?

Answer 1

Because of the gold standard.

By about 1880, all industrialized countries adopted the gold standard. Under the gold standard, a nation can expand its money supply only as far as its gold stock allows. To expand its gold stock, a nation must have a trade surplus. So expanding the money supply under the gold standard is only possible if a nation has a trade surplus.

Expanding money supply is the quickest way of ending recessions and thus keeping the population gainfully employed and reasonably happy. But under the gold standard, it is only possible if a nation has a trade surplus, so governments, instead of abandoning the gold standard, started working on ensuring that their nations always have a trade surplus.

In practice, this took the form of pressuring other countries into opening their markets for your exports while keeping imports off your domestic market. The pressure tactics gradually escalated from diplomacy to the threat or war, until everyone was threatening everyone else.

And that’s when Gavrilo Princip fired his FN M 1910… If he didn’t, another “cause” (which, of course, would have as little to do with real problem as the assassination of Franz Ferdinand did) would have been found in a pretty short order…

Answer 2

There were also the factors of overseas empires competing for resources; not to mention the Europeans competing by seeing who could build the larger empire.

Between Germany and the UK specifically; Germany was building up its Navy, which the UK felt as a direct threat- and built up its own Navy even more; initiating a Naval Arms race between the two countries. Ironically; in WW1- they expected there to be a massive naval battle between the two; and with the exception of Jutland's battle- the Germany navy spent the war in port.

Other factors were internal strife in some of the Empire's fringe areas (Serbia for the Austrians); but the Ottoman Turks' empire was fading as a whole; and the British in Egypt and the French in Algeria were likely keeping a close eye on that for an opportunity to take over the Middle East.

I would also add that the Alliances themselves added to tensions; instead of having a small war between two countries like the Franco-Prussian war; any war would be massive due to each person's allies coming into help them out. So when war did break out; all that pent up energy from NOT going to war was thrown into this conflict. (true there were also conflicts in their colonies; esp for the British in India that had a core of highly experienced officers at the start of the war).

I suspect that the instability of Tsarist Russia with the constant threat of Revolution made the Tsars want a good, quick victory that would make him look better and help to quell the discontent.

Answer 3

The number of adoptable kittens was at a historical low.