What do you think caused "The Great War"?

WWI had some horrific combat.

Yet at the same time, it was rather romantic.

 

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Romantic?!
And I suppose you are a veteran of that war to be entitled to say so?
I lost many relatives (soldiers) in it, don't think they found that romantic.

Two from the poisonous gas (Iprit) used by the Germans.

Of course, good things came out of it too.

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You've caught me: I am not one of the few hundred remaining WWI vets.

 

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Personally, I think it was the German imperial ambitions. FYI, Kaiser Wilhelm (when he was still Crown Prince) fell in a lake when his skiff capsized during a boat race in the 1890's. With his withered arm, he couldn't swim very well, and if someone hadn't got to him and pulled him out, someone else would have ended up as Kaiser of Germany. I'm not saying that WW1 wouldn't have been fought under that other Kaiser, but you never know what paths history would have taken.

 

Like WWII, the Great War was contrived by the Jews. The first move in their plan to bring Britain and Germany -- the two great Anglo-Saxon-Teutonic tribes of Northern Europe, and the natural competitors (if not enemies) of the Jewish race -- into conflict was carried out by their pawn, King Edward VII.

As Prince of Wales, Edward was a man of extravagant and self-indulgent tastes (though it was his eldest son who was to die of syphilis) who enjoyed living rather beyond his means. In this he was encouraged by Jewish pimps and money-lenders, occasioning much scandal at the time. In return for the favours enjoyed at the behest of his Jewish friends, Edward was induced (upon becoming monarch) to promote an alliance with England’s ancient enemy, France, at the cost of estrangement from Germany. The “entente cordiale”, with its secret clauses, signed in 1904, was probably the last instance of a British monarch taking the decisive role in the foreign policy of the nation – but it was the Jews who were the puppetmasters in beginning the series of alliances and confrontations that culminated in the outbreak of war.

 

As much as I would like to think that The Germans started this war, i must disagree. The Assassination of The archduke was unfortunate yet only the straw that brok the camels back. I believe that(you're all gonna hate me) the reason that WWI came into full affect was because of the alliance system.
If everybody had not decided to join up with a "Side" we would have only had a minor conflict between the serbs and Austria Hungarians. Since everyone decided, "Hey i got your back, you got mine?" we were pulled into a full scale War, involving many many countries, situated around the world

 

Mainly entangling alliances. The other aspects (nationalism, militarism, imperialism) exacerbated the inherent problem with military pacts. The assassination of HIH Archduke Francis Ferdinand was only the spark, and really was nothing in terms of an actual cause. Austria had almost always had enmity with the Karadordevic dynasty of Serbia, and the assassination of the heir to the throne was just the excuse they needed. The alliance system in place ensured that it would extrapolate itself into an international conflict.

 

Wow, i could not have said it better ^.^

 

Perfectly said and accurate. Thumbs up to you Brayn!

 

Really? wow thanks! we're learning about WWI right now and i wanted to give my input ^^

 

I'm no historian, but I do belive you hit it on the head with that statement. Way to go kid!

 

Hmm yes, but even without the allie system, Russia would have backed Serbia because they are the same race

 

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really the same Russia who were quick to stab serbia in the back to be handed use of the dardanelle strait? yeah right, the only reason they agreed to back up serbia again was because they were made to look like idiots

 

And what about what happened in russia when they pulled out? REVOLUTION!!!!

 

Russia pulled out after the revolution had began, not before

 

,.,

 

The assassination of the no.2 man in the Austrian Empire was as much an “excuse” for the ultimatum to Serbia of 23 July 1914 as was 9/11 to the invasion of Afganistan. Without Sarajevo, there is no crisis and therefore, no war.

That is to say – Austria would have smacked Serbia around any day that they pulled this type of crap. 1888 or 1914. It didn’t matter, it would be “on”.

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Utter garbage.

Alliances merely formalized the interests of the parties concerned, therefore they were symptoms and not a causation. Alliances did not well predict the behaviour of countries in 1914 (Russia fought with Serbia despite the lack of an alliance, England with France despite the lack of an alliance, Italy and Rumania abandoned Austria despite having an alliance). Of the alliances that did go into effect, each had been in existence for over 2 decades. Anything that takes over 2 decades to activate was obviously not an immediate cause, otherwise the war would have happened in 1894 instead.

The war happened because a guy had a stub arm?

 

True. My point was that, nearly anything would have set off a conflict involving Austria and Serbia. If it wasn't Sarajevo, it would have been something else, eventually.

Well, William II did have some psychological problems complicated by the withered arm. It caused him to feel inferior to others, physically, and so he developed a megalomaniacal personality and a superiority complex. Combined with some other brain trauma caused by his breech birth, it was partially the cause of German militarism during William II's tenure.
If he had been born a healthy baby boy, it's possible that a more sane, rational, and less flamboyant ruler would have led to Germany staying on Britain's good side prior to the war, and would have probably avoided declaring war on Britain during the great war. That isn't to say that there wouldn't have been a war; it's just that, it probably would not have involved Britain being a part of it, at least in opposition to Germany.

 

There is no evidence that Austria was plotting war against Serbia prior to June 28th 1914. Had the Serbian army not gone to Sarajevo, there is no reason to suppose there would have been a war in 1914. Nor even perhaps in 1915. Further, since the imperialist Austro-Hungarian Empire would have attacked Serbia practically on any day of any year of any century for the insult offered at Sarajevo, it can't really be claimed the tensions prevelent at the time were by and by relevent with respect to the inevitable reaction to the deed. Therefore, far from being a pretext or an excuse, the Serbian attack in June 1914 was as much a direct cause to the war as was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941.

But in the crunch, Wilhelm was rarely if ever a force for confrontation. In July, his blank cheque to Franz Joseph was prompted by his sense of loyalty to the alliance, and moral outrage at the deed which had occured. Neither of this considerations would have altered should his left arm have been normal.

Germany did not declare war on Great Britain. Great Britain declared war on Germany. In 1914, Germany had become something Europe had not ever seen in its entire history - a power threatening to gain semi-hegemonic status on the basis of the peaceful expansion of its industry and trade. This phenominon, a symptom of the explosion of all forms of industrial technology, communications, and world trade, was causing a shift in the military balance of power. Balance of power. Britain did not permit hegemons regardless of their methods to power. Britain fought on the side of the weak to prevent the political consolidation of Europe under one banner. Germany could not cease to be Germany - her economic growth was leaving Britain in the dust and over time Germany was becoming no.1. Shrivelled arm or no arm, nice Kaiser or not nice Kaiser, Britain's balance of power strategy dictates it must fight.