What causes of Europe to start World War 1?

Answer 1

There are 4 main reasons often sited as the causes of WWI and then the spark which ignited the conflict. The first reason is militarization. Before WWI Germany and England were both rapidly expanding their armies and navies, leading to an arms race. The second reason is alliances. In Europe there were 2 alliances. The Triple Entente, (England, France, and Russia), and the Triple Alliance, (Germany, Austria- Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). These alliances created a divide in Europe and allowed the war to spread across the whole continent. The third reason was Imperialism. Germany wanted expand its empire through colonies and was unable due to previous colonization by countries such as England and France. Lastly a main reason for WWI was nationalism or patriotism. This nationalism caused citizens of countries to blindly support actions of their countries. The spark that started the war was the assassination of Austria- Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist terrorist organization called The Black Hand. This caused Austria- Hungary, part of the Triple Alliance, to declare war on Serbia, who was allied with the Triple Entente. These alliances, along with further tensions, brought Germany, Russia, France, and England into the War, thus beginning WWI