Outbreak of First World War

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The outbreak of First World War in 1914 still seems to mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, with the killing of royalties and capturing of the revolutionaries. Circumstances for the war could be seen before the starting of 19th century. New era comes with lots of alienation among the countries which ignited the war. It’s immediate consequences were the Russian revolution and the political and social upheavals of 1918-1922. The war redraw the maps with the emergence of national state, it also made cultural developments all over the world. The war took more than 17 million lives and it ended with the treaty of Versailles. This treaty made many restrictions on Germany (It is also a known factor for the outbreak of Second World War).

Causes For the spark of the war was many some historians have identified imperialism as a primary cause for the First World War but the main factor for the outbreak was the killing of Franz Ferdinand. He was an Archduke of Austria, Austro Hungarian and royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia killed by Gavrilo Princip. In fact, the seeds of devastating conflict had been planted long before Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed. After the killing of Archduke the empire of Austria Hungary declared war on the kingdom of Siberia on 28th July, 1914.

By 1914 Russia became the 4th largest economy in world, and its currency was gold standard. Because of shortage of money Russia was unable to form army like Germans could. Russian rail roads were booming and they easily and quickly defend its borders in few years.

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Opinion of General and some govt officials on Russia

This was big fear in German high command. German chancellor ‘Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann-Hollweg’ tells that “Russian had become a nightmare” and on that German general said that “there must be a war before it was too late and in 1917 Germany have no hope so better do in 1914” but German people were not with that decision, but still Germany declared the war and Russia mobilised.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand initiated the chain of events leading to the one of the largest and deadliest contests in world history.

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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

After assassination Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia this attempt to exert to crush the control over Balkans was also an effort to crush the nationalist movements responsible for the death. On satisfying with the response, Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia on July 28, 1914 exactly one month after the assassination.

Fritz Fischer identified Germany as the chief cause of the war. It began in 1870, where France declared war on Prussia, unifying Germany, which led to the events that provoked the First World War. The Franco-Prussian war led to unification of a powerful Germany which threatened to many great powers. France was defeated in war resulting in Germany obtaining France territories of Alsace and Lorraine.

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Alsace and Lorraine captured by Germany

This created tension between France and Germany. France made a offensive plan to take its territories back, but due to financial and military problems it failed. This created a great tension between both countries which may have provoked the war. Soon Germany violated the neutrality of Belgium because of that Britain declared the war. Other European power soon drawn into the conflict and eventually it turned into the global war with the United States joining the allies.

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