Causes of Ww1 & Ww2 Essay Example
By 1914, Europe was divided into two groupsthe Triple Entente, or Allied Powers, made up of Britain, Russia, and France, and the alliance between Germany and Austria (Italy was a part of this group, known as the Triple Alliance, but only so on paper as they did not fully actively participate in World War I). Given each side's past rivalries resulting from wars fought in the late 19th century, it is not surprising that both sides engaged in expansive colonization as well as a competitive arms race and military expansion to prove their own superior technological and militaristic ability in the event of a war.
Moreover, as a result of the Balkan wars fought in 1912 and 1913 against the Ottomans, a group of newly independent sates including Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia emerged. Serbia would eventually play an instrumental role in the conflict that would soon engulf the world in a matter of years; but for the time being, the opposing sides managed to stay out of it. However, as a result of the Balkan wars, the multi-ethnic groups within the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to strongly resent their second-class positions in the German and Hungarian parts of the empire, notably, they despised the empire's dual monarchy, which was established in 1876 and did not grant them positions in the empire's government. Particularly resentful were the Bosnians who had been under Austrian occupation since 1878 when the Austro-Hungarian Empire annexed it, and its Serbian citizens desired to join the newly independent Serbia.
Austria's refusal to allow this, combined with Serbia's guerilla tactics against the empire, threatened to bring the previous regional Balkan conflict to the international stageand it did, beginning with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. It is interesting to note that the Archduke had been willing to undertake more measures to appease the Bosnians, even going as far as to propose a tri-partite monarchy in which each part would have
Moreover, as a result of the Balkan wars fought in 1912 and 1913 against the Ottomans, a group of newly independent sates including Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia emerged. Serbia would eventually play an instrumental role in the conflict that would soon engulf the world in a matter of years; but for the time being, the opposing sides managed to stay out of it. However, as a result of the Balkan wars, the multi-ethnic groups within the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to strongly resent their second-class positions in the German and Hungarian parts of the empire, notably, they despised the empire's dual monarchy, which was established in 1876 and did not grant them positions in the empire's government. Particularly resentful were the Bosnians who had been under Austrian occupation since 1878 when the Austro-Hungarian Empire annexed it, and its Serbian citizens desired to join the newly independent Serbia.
Austria's refusal to allow this, combined with Serbia's guerilla tactics against the empire, threatened to bring the previous regional Balkan conflict to the international stageand it did, beginning with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. It is interesting to note that the Archduke had been willing to undertake more measures to appease the Bosnians, even going as far as to propose a tri-partite monarchy in which each part would have