World War 1 – Essay – (Stella Ktenas)

Resource Description

Essay on the Topic Of World War 1; Why did war break out in 1914? In your response refer to the available historiography acknowledging the varying views on the causes of WWI. Intro; The causes of the outbreak of World War I in 1914, has been a contentious issue in historiography. This is why historian, Spencer C. Olin has remarked that “[t]o survey the historiography of World War I is no easy task…[H]ardly a decade has passed that has not witnessed a significant shift in the dominant interpretation”. Despite the fact that historical opinions have constantly changed, it is generally accepted that there were four reasons why WWI broke out in 1914. These are Nationalism, Militarism, Imperialism and The Alliance System. Each was interconnected with the other and each played its own unique role in the outbreak conduct and continuance of the war. Yet amongst all these causes, a common underlying thread of nationalist fever has been acknowledged as the ultimate factor which drove Europe to war.