World War I: Origins, Alliances, and Global Impact
The Outbreak of World War I
War broke out in Europe, and the former belligerents were the European powers. As most of them had colonies all over the world, there were also clashes on other continents. In addition, Japan and the United States intervened in the conflict, and even China entered the war as a token gesture. The intervention of countries like Brazil transformed what began as a European war into a world war.
The Spark in the Balkans
The war started in one of the areas where most conflicts had occurred since the 19th century: the Balkans. On June 28, 1914, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand of Habsburg, and his wife were assassinated during a visit to Sarajevo. This city was in Bosnia, a territory recently annexed by Austria-Hungary. The assassins, of Bosnian Serb origin, belonged to terrorist and nationalist Slavic circles, and the operation had been prepared in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
Austria-Hungary’s Response
The attack provided Austria-Hungary with the perfect excuse to demand serious conditions from Serbia, involving intervention in their affairs. The Austrian Serbs refused to accept the conditions, and Austria-Hungary declared war on July 28.
Escalation of the Conflict
These events had a very recent history: in 1908, Austria-Hungary invaded Bosnia and threatened Serbia, and in 1913, it unsuccessfully tried to prevent the triumph of the Serbs in the region. After Austria’s declaration of war, the rest of the powers joined the fray in compliance with their alliances and agreements. Russia, which was interested in preventing Serbia’s destruction, mobilized its troops to intervene if necessary.
Germany’s Involvement
Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, demanded that Russia stop these operations and that France remain neutral. With no response, on August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, and on August 3, on France. The German initiative was due to the war plans of its army, consisting of a very fast attack on France. Then, it would attack Russia, whose huge but antiquated army would take longer to organize. To make this plan work, the Germans invaded Belgium, which caused Britain to enter the war.
Expansion of the War
Subsequently, the conflict spread elsewhere. The Central Powers were joined by Bulgaria and the Turkish Empire. The Allies were joined by Romania, Greece, and Japan, the latter ambitious for German colonies in the Pacific. Italy, although part of the Triple Alliance, did not support its allies, claiming that it considered them aggressors. However, in 1915, more convinced by the supply of the British and French, it decided to enter the war for the allied bloc led by France and Great Britain. The United States, the main supplier of food, weapons, materials, and financial resources to the allied bloc, joined in 1917.
The Role of the United States
The cause was the continued sinking of American merchant ships by German submarines, with the goal of ending allied trade. Spain remained neutral throughout the conflict.
Underlying Causes of the War
The real causes included:
- Western diplomacy based on the use of force. For decades, force was the instrument commonly used to seize territories from other countries or to impose upon the weak, all while ignoring international law.
- Authoritarian and undemocratic governments, which, however, were forced to respond in their work to their parliaments. To gain the support of their countries, they manipulated public opinion or the electorate using nationalism, imperialist war, and hatred towards other nations.
- Economic interests in Europe or overseas were not considered a private matter but national interests, i.e., goods the state should defend using arms.
- The arms race, which was constant because each power sought to enhance and increase its arms and armies in order to deter the adversary from attacking. However, this process created a mutual distrust that put the world on the brink of war every time there was a conflict.