ww1 causews Flashcards
How did Ideology cause WW1?
Ideology caused WW1 through the pre-eminence of nationalism, particularly in the Balkans.
The collapse of the Ottoman Empr, couple with the increasing threats to the A-H Empire created a sequence of events by which localised nationalism resulted in the emergence of world war
The First and Second Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 stoked the fire by which, particularly Serbia, began to express the desire to exist as an independent nation
That this led to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo is, of course, of paramount importance, but it was the expression of this pan-Slav nationalism that allowed such an event to happen
This ideological cause was incidental and crucial
How did Ideology Cause WW2
Hitler’s Nazm was an ideology that prioritised war as a key element, as best evidenced by the foreign policy pursued by the German state through the 1930s in Austria and eventually Poland.
This could not be said of Pan-Slav nationalism in the abstract, whereby the contrast Hitler’s aggressive and radicalise Nazism desired war and expansionism by design
Hitler’s Nazm was based as it was on the expressed desire for Lebernsraum in the East, was a belief system that met its ideological match in both liberal democracy and communism
The Second WW can therefore more easily be define as a war between ideologies where WW1 is much harder to define as such
Ideology did indeed paly its ole in WW1 , but as part of a much larger colction od disparate causes, rather than as the main cause in and of itself
The ideological underpinning of each war, however, was closely linked to the need for imperial expansion
How did Imperalism cause WW1?
Imperalism created the means by which arms came into armed conflict with each other
Primarily, Germany’s shift towards Weltpolitik and its search colonies brought into conflict, most notably, with Britain and France
Moroccan Crisis pp> Both due to the same fundamental cause
How did Imperalism cause WW2?
Similar can be seen in WW2
Imperial Expansion by Ger, Italy and Japan all saw the outbreak of war occur as a consequence
In the case of Nazi Germany, it was the aggressive seizure of nation states such as Czecholslovakia which saw Britain respond in kind through the guarantee to Poland
The eventual acquisition of Poland in the name of Nazi lving space led in turn to the British declaration of war in September 1939
Furthermore, Japanese expansion in the Pacific provoked war in that theatre - although it could be argued that the seizure of the variou island groups in the Pacific did not actually cause war until the purley millitaristic attack on Peal Harbour in 1941
Direct Area of Contrast between Imperialism?
Similar can be seen in WW2
Imperial Expansion by Ger, Italy and Japan all saw the outbreak of war occur as a consequence
In the case of Nazi Germany, it was the aggressive seizure of nation states such as Czecholslovakia which saw Britain respond in kind through the guarantee to Poland
The eventual acquisition of Poland in the name of Nazi lving space led in turn to the British declaration of war in September 1939
Furthermore, Japanese expansion in the Pacific provoked war in that theatre - although it could be argued that the seizure of the variou island groups in the Pacific did not actually cause war until the purley millitaristic attack on Peal Harbour in 1941
How did Alliances cause ww1?
As a direct consequence of the economic factors, just discussed and the militarism strongly associated with it, events in Sarajevo eventually led to the triggering of both the Triple Alliance and Tiple Entente against each other that started the war in 1914
Turned small –> big
How did Alliance cause WW2?
Similarly, alliances played a role in WW2
Nazi Soviet Pact that gave Hitler the confidence to invade Poland in Sep 1939, knowing that his agreeing with the Soviets avoided the potential threat of war on two fronts.
Contrasts for Alliance?
Time Period and Intentions
Alliances had beeen in place for decades (in the case of Britain’s guarantee of Belgian neutrality in 1839) or at least several years
Neither seemed to be create with thexpress for War
Nazi Soviet pact –> war orinetieated
Similarity, lack of foreight on the part of Germany
In the First, this can be seen through the lack of foresight of Belgian neutrality in 1914 and in 1939 through Hitler’s belief that Br and France would continue their policy of appeaseament, where he to invade Poland, which has been abondend in March
Alliances, were, therefore, the catalyst for war in borth the First and Second World Wars, if not the underlying cause.
