The Three Main Causes of the Great War History Essay (Essay Sample)

The Three Main Causes of the Great War
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Introduction
Started on the 28th of July 1914, the Great War or World War I arose from two sides, particularly triple entente and the triple alliance. The immediate cause of the Great War was brought about by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand along with his wife Sophia by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo. Even though matters related to the indifference of policies enacted were to blame, the war started mainly because of four critical aspects. These aspects include; militarism, alliances, imperialism, and Nationalism. Therefore, this article will highlight how each aspect influenced the formation of the Great War.
Short term cause of the Great War
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb executed an Austrian Archduke known as Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia when they both visited Sarajevo for the purpose of inspecting the forces of the imperials. The assassination was purposefully conducted by the assassin because he wanted to free his country from the prolonged dominance and control of Austria-Hungary. The double murder came as a shock in Europe which sparked tension throughout the European countries and their empires, including their superior military. It also contributed to the development of anti-Serbian riots within Sarajevo. Days later after the assassination, an ultimatum was issued to Serbia by Austria-Hungary, and its government was blamed for the assassination. The government was also issued with a command to stop all the propaganda revolving around all the anti-Austro-Hungarians and also to accept its association with suppressing the rebels. Furthermore, the Austria-Hungary was to take over all the trails that are related to the assassination which was stated clearly by the ultimatum. However, the Serbian government rejected two demands raised by Austria-Hungary; thus, Vienna considered such actions as rejections of the ultimatum. In this case, on July 28th, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Therefore, Russia was also involved since it had an alliance with Serbia. Germany, on the other hand, declared war on Russia since it had an alliance with Austria-Hungary. Britain also declared war on Germany because it invaded neutral Belgium. It had sworn to protect both France and Belgium from any kind of invasion. The whole conflict sparked the beginning of the First World War.[Butcher, Tim. The trigger: Hunting the assassin who brought the world to war. Random House, 2015.] [Mulligan, William. The Origins of the First World War. Vol. 52. Cambridge University Press, 2017.]