French Revolution and World War I: Causes and Origins
Causes and Origins of the French Revolution
Causes
The critiques of the *Ancien Régime* institutions, inspired by the Enlightenment, provided the ideological foundations upon which the revolution would be built: liberty, separation of powers, national sovereignty, defense of equality, and a rejection of a society divided into estates. The economic crisis exacerbated social and political tensions. There was also inspiration from the American Revolution and decreased livestock prices. The agricultural crisis led to a shortage of wool, which, combined with a shortage of cotton, caused a price increase. Farmers were affected, as were the cities. The absolute monarchy faced a political crisis.
Origins
King Louis XVI and his ministers’ efforts to establish a tax paid by all failed because of opposition from the privileged classes, the nobility, and the clergy. The Assembly of Notables was convened, and it was demanded that the approval of new taxes be made at a meeting of the Estates-General. The *Cahiers de Doléances* (grievance notebooks) of the nobility and clergy stated that they should maintain their privileges. The *Cahiers de Doléances* of the Third Estate demanded freedom of expression, a doubling of the number of representatives of the Third Estate, and that the vote be by head.
Causes of World War I
World War I occurred between 1914 and 1918. It was the largest-scale event experienced in human history up to that point because of the participation of European and non-European countries, the mobilization of large armies, the utilization of propaganda for isolation, and the incalculable costs and devastating consequences.
Alliance Policy
Bismarck’s policy aimed to isolate France and dominate European diplomacy. This led to the formation of political alliances, resulting in the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). The other European powers responded with the formation of another alliance: the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, and Russia). These alliances were created in a period known as the *Armed Peace*.
European Rivalries
- Rivalry between France and Germany: Following the Franco-Prussian War, in which France lost Alsace-Lorraine, France desired to recover these territories, and Germany sought to isolate France from the other great powers. Germany’s late entry into colonialism led to two Moroccan crises (in 1905 and 1911). In the latter, Germany sent warships under the pretext of protecting German nationals in the area. Pressure from France and Britain allowed Germany to expand its colony at the expense of French territories in Cameroon.
- Rivalry between Russia and Austria-Hungary: This rivalry occurred in the Balkans. Exploiting the weakness of the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary wished to expand its borders, and Russia needed to control the passage of the straits to have access from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. This provoked three crises. Austria-Hungary annexed the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Afterward, the Balkan League was formed. In 1912, the First Balkan War occurred between the League and the Ottoman Empire. In 1913, the Second Balkan War broke out due to differences among the members of the League.
- Rivalry between Great Britain and Germany: This rivalry arose from competition in naval shipbuilding. Great Britain supported France and Russia, thereby strengthening the Triple Entente.
A trigger to unleash the war occurred in the Balkans: the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown. Russia supported Serbia and declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany declared war on Russia and then on France, ordering the invasion of Belgium. On the same day as the Belgian invasion, Great Britain declared war on Germany.