List and explain 3 causes to the Great War?

Essay by emcgivneyCollege, Undergraduate April 2003

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List and explain 3 Causes of the Great War? Some of any causes to a war happen with time. One of the causes of the Great War was Nationalism. Nationalism was a tension created in the world by imperialism, which was strongly linked to nationalism. Many people in each nation of Europe felt themselves to be superior to the peoples of other nations. This convinced leaders of various nations that their country had the right to rule territory beyond their own borders and on different continents. Another cause that happened over time was Militarism. Militarism is a policy caused by the government of larger European countries to build up their armies and navies. These countries believed that having a large military force gave them strong power. The British had the best and the biggest navy, but became threatened when Germany began building more and better ships. Germany was also suspicious of Russia's plans to modernize its army.

Fear and distrust led to an arms race. Lastly a third reason for the Great War was ena=tangling alliances. The tensions created by imperialism, nationalism, and militarism led to a system of entangling alliances. To be safe from their rivals, European nations entered into agreements to help their allies in the event of war. Instead of increasing security, the alliance systems made it almost certain that a clash between any two nations would draw others into conflict.