Causes of the First and Second World War
Within the context of the period 1815-1941, to what extent was the Breakdown of Great Power Diplomacy a cause of both the First and Second World Wars?
In this essay I shall give my opinion, and the opinions of several historians, as to the causes of the First and Second World Wars, paying close attention to the breakdown of Great Power Diplomacy.
The Congress of Vienna in 1815 was to form the framework for international politics right up until the breakout of the Great War almost a century later, and was the first in a series of international meetings that came to be known as the Concert of Europe, an attempt to keep the balance of power across the continent, and the world. The Great Powers were to meet several times throughout this period (Aix-la-Chappelle (1818), Carlsbad (1819), Verona (1822), London (1832), Berlin (1878)), as diplomacy started to weaken, and the cracks started to show in European politics. There were several factors that brought about its downfall, including the rise of Nationalism, the unification of Germany, and the Eastern Question, all coming together to form a Europe ready for war. Where, at the start, common goals and aims tied the Powers together, as time went on, economic and political rivalries separated them, and Great Power diplomacy broke down after successive wars across Europe. These wars, such as The Crimean War (1854-56) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) unravelled the Concert, and raised tensions between the Powers, leading to a complex system of Alliances known as the Bismarckian Alliance System.
Whether Bismarck designed the system to keep Germany in favour with the Powers as they grew from strength to strength, or it was a genuine attempt in keeping peace between Europe, it ended with his resignation and retirement in 1890. With Bismarck gone from office, he had left behind a fragile alliance system, whereby Germany was allied defensively with Austria-Hungary and Italy (Triple Alliance, 1892), the French were
In this essay I shall give my opinion, and the opinions of several historians, as to the causes of the First and Second World Wars, paying close attention to the breakdown of Great Power Diplomacy.
The Congress of Vienna in 1815 was to form the framework for international politics right up until the breakout of the Great War almost a century later, and was the first in a series of international meetings that came to be known as the Concert of Europe, an attempt to keep the balance of power across the continent, and the world. The Great Powers were to meet several times throughout this period (Aix-la-Chappelle (1818), Carlsbad (1819), Verona (1822), London (1832), Berlin (1878)), as diplomacy started to weaken, and the cracks started to show in European politics. There were several factors that brought about its downfall, including the rise of Nationalism, the unification of Germany, and the Eastern Question, all coming together to form a Europe ready for war. Where, at the start, common goals and aims tied the Powers together, as time went on, economic and political rivalries separated them, and Great Power diplomacy broke down after successive wars across Europe. These wars, such as The Crimean War (1854-56) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) unravelled the Concert, and raised tensions between the Powers, leading to a complex system of Alliances known as the Bismarckian Alliance System.
Whether Bismarck designed the system to keep Germany in favour with the Powers as they grew from strength to strength, or it was a genuine attempt in keeping peace between Europe, it ended with his resignation and retirement in 1890. With Bismarck gone from office, he had left behind a fragile alliance system, whereby Germany was allied defensively with Austria-Hungary and Italy (Triple Alliance, 1892), the French were