Why did world war one start?

Question

i'm a 76 year old woman ive always wonderd why eny one know ?

Answer 1

The assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the event that lit the match to the powder keg.
But there was more to it.
Here's what I use in my classes as a memory aid :

"My Needs Are #I Priority" - - Selfishness caused the war.

M - Militarism - Many European countries expensively arming themselves to the teeth with modern armies, weapons, and navies. Once you spend all the resources - there is a general desire to try them out - get your money's worth. Bad idea.

N - Nationalism - Nations of people feeling pride in their nationality. Their "home team" was their armed force. Bad game to play.

A - Alliances - Treaties on paper obligating warfare to expand once it started. Another bad idea. These alliances were supposed to be a deterrent to war.

I - Imperialism - New countries such as Germany (just formed in 1871) wanted its share of the world to exploit as Britain, France, and others had been doing for centuries.

P - Population - Germany had a population increase of 50% from its founding in 1871 to 1914. They wanted more land but had nowhere to expand except into neighboring European countries. Bad location for Germany.

Answer 2

The events of July and early August 1914 are a classic case of "one thing led to another" - otherwise known as the treaty alliance system.

The explosive that was World War One had been long in the stockpiling; the spark was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. (Click here to view film footage of Ferdinand arriving at Sarajevo's Town Hall on 28 June 1914.)

Ferdinand's death at the hands of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society, set in train a mindlessly mechanical series of events that culminated in the world's first global war.

United States President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality, an official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare - which seriously threatened America's commercial shipping (which was in any event almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France) - forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.

Answer 3

Although Franz Ferdinand was killed, the real reason for the beginning was the arms race that began in mid century. In addition, the european were busy trying to land grab. Every european country had their hands in some part of the globe. Austria had been attempting to take over serbian areas in the Balkins, and they were facing a lot of violant resistance. It was the opposition of the serbs to Austrian annexing, that caused the serbian under ground to plan the death of the Emperors heir.

Answer 4

Power. The European dynaties/empires were rattling their sabres at each other ever since the Crimea and Boer Wars. They were like strutting peacocks. Germany was the main aggressor - the Kaiser wanted to extend the German States and also the German Empire in Africa.

The shooting of Franz Ferdinand was just the excuse they all ready to delcare war on each other.

Hence WW! and of course WW2 was just a continuation of the first!!

Answer 5

Assanation of Arch Duke Ferdinand in the Balkans, because all of the royalty in Europe at the time was related to one another in some way and there were a series of alliances, when Germany promised to help Austria, this dragged all of their allies into the war, and those that sided with Serbia (where Austria was intervening), dragged all their allies into it, causing the world war

Answer 6

[e-mail]... > Read your history books. Your answer is bull ...

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand caused WW1. And then one thing led to the other.

Germany was NOT the aggressor. In fact the emperor wanted to prevent it and wrote to his cousins, the King of Great Britain and the Tsar Nikolai in Russia.

After WW1 it has been decided by the allied forces to BLAME Germany for the outbreak of the war and humiliation basically caused WW2.

Again, history books aren't existing, because it makes a good expression to have them in your shelf.

Answer 7

Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated. Then, a series of mutual protection pacts triggered, causing many countries who had nothing to do with the assassination to be dragged into war with each other.

Answer 8

I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry.

Answer 9

We know you have a computer, do some simple research.

Just type WW I in the search line and look at what you get.

Answer 10

The assassination of Frank Ferdinand.
Militarism,
Imperialism,
Crises,
and
Nationalism.

i believe.