World War I, also known as ‘The Great War’ or ‘The War To End All Wars’, lasted from 1914 until November of 1918. This war involved over 65 million soldiers, with 9 million killed and 21 million wounded. With 5 million citizens dead, ideas of war shifted drastically during this time, after people realized how horrific warfare really is (HISTORY, 2018). Many factors influenced the outbreak of World War I, from the race to have the best military in the world and having secret alliances, to the ideas of imperialism and nationalism.
Germany was one of the main players in this pointless war. Its involvement in the war was mainly because of its alliance with Austria-Hungary and its deep sense of patriotism regarding its power in the world.
Alliances
Alliances are formed for mutual benefit between countries and organizations. This had a crucial part in World War I, as complex alliance systems were made years prior to the war. These complicated alliance systems created an obligation for countries to join the war in defense of their allies. This resulted in Europe being divided into two; ‘The Triple Alliance’ and ‘The Triple Entente’ (History Crunch, ND).
In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary formed a dual alliance. This treaty promised to intervene and/or offer support in case of an attack from other countries, such as Russia. Later in 1882, the Triple Alliance was formed when Italy joined, after losing to France in establishing a colony in Tunisia (School History, ND).
The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, by Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, prompted Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. Austria-Hungary however, required German support, as its unprepared army was not ready to face the threat of Russian intervention. On July 6th, German chancellor Theobald Bethmann Hollwed responded to Emperor Franz Josef’s letter, informing Austrian representatives that Austria-Hungary had German support because of their alliance (HISTORY, 2018). On the 1st of August, Germany declares war on Russia, after hearing of its general mobilization. The German army attacks Russia’s ally, France, through Belgium, which violated the peace treaty signed in 1839 that guaranteed Belgium's neutrality. This then prompted Britain and its allies to join the war (Ducksters, ND).
The dual alliance prompted Germany to support Austria-Hungary in its declaration of war. It obligated Germany into joining this war, as Austria-Hungary was their ally. If they didn’t, Germany would have gone against the treaty they signed in 1879, which would have created another enemy around its border. Germany needed to maintain an alliance with Austria-Hungary, so it had to offer its support by joining the war. Without their alliance with Austria-Hungary, Germany would have been surrounded by enemies because of its geographical location, with Russia being at its eastern border and France being at its west. They would have been cornered, so this alliance with Austria-Hungary was extremely important to the Germans. It was something they didn’t want to lose, so by supporting the Austrians, the Germans could not only keep their alliance but if they won, Germany could have claimed more land, getting itself out of being surrounded by the allied powers. This would have helped stabilize Germany’s existence and power in the region.
Nationalism
Nationalism can be described as a deep sense of patriotism and loyalty to one’s country. Nationalists would place their country’s interests above those of other nations, as they tend to highly regard their country. By the late 1800s, most European powers were obsessed with patriotism and nationalism, particularly the Germans (School History, ND).
After the unification of Germany in 1871, nationalism became the ‘glue’ that stuck the 26 states and territories together. Britain was Germany’s enemy, as the Germans wanted what the British had, imperial expansion and military power. This lust for power on the German side can be reflected in Kaiser Wilhelm’s speech, where he encourages German imperialism using the phrase, “a place in the sun” (Llewellyn J and Thompson S, 2017). Germany and its leader were extremely arrogant about their achievements. Its confidence in the German military, was ultimately what influenced its decision in declaring war on the Russians. Nationalists were convinced that their country would win, as they strongly believed in the efficiency and power of their military (School History, ND).
The Schlieffen plan, created by Count Alfred Von Schlieffen between 1897 and 1905, — after an alliance was established between Russia and France in 1891 — meant that Germany could battle a two-front war at different times (Onion A, ND). This plan was heavily fuelled by nationalism to work, as the German military had high confidence in the assumptions made in the plan. This nationalism-fuelled plan was ultimately used when Germany declared war on Russia in 1914 (School History, ND). Behind this plan were many incorrect assumptions and inflexibility, that the Germans did not see until it was too late. Nationalism made the plan look like it was a good plan when it really wasn’t, which ultimately resulted in Germany’s downfall in the war (Onion A, ND).
Germany was a nation fuelled and glued together by nationalism. This idea resulted in them joining the war, as they had full confidence in their plan. They were ultimately blinded by patriotism regarding their country and its standing in the world. Nationalism was a key factor in why Germany wanted to get in the war, to show the globe what they ultimately believed in, that Germany’s strength is supreme to other nations in the world. They wanted to expand their territory — like Britain — but nationalism made them underestimate their enemy’s power, which concluded in their defeat. The confidence, reassurance, and lust for power caused by nationalism conclusively made Germany decide to join World War I.
Conclusion
Germany’s decision in joining the war was ultimately because of its alliance with Austria-Hungary, and nationalism. These two MAIN factors led Germany down the road to joining the destructive war, as Germany was obligated to join the war as Austria-Hungary was their ally, and they wanted to show the world the strength and power that they believed their country had. They wanted to stabilize their power and existence in the region by gaining more land. These factors all contributed to Germany’s decision into joining the First World War.
Bibliography
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History Crunch. n.d. Long-Term Causes Of World War I. [online] Available at: [Accessed 3 April 2020].
Llewellyn, J. and Thompson, S., 2017. Nationalism As A Cause Of World War I. [online] Alpha History. Available at: [Accessed 3 April 2020].
Onion, A., n.d. Was Germany Doomed In World War I By The Schlieffen Plan? [online] HISTORY. Available at: [Accessed 3 April 2020].
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