Causes of WW1

There were many causes of World War 1. One for example was Militarism. Militarism denoted a rise in military expenditure and an increase in military and naval forces. It also added more influence of the military men upon the policies of the civilian government, and it gave some sollutions that resulted in war. Militarism was one of the main causes of the First World War.

Another reason was the formation of alliances. The alliance system was started by Bismarck, the German Chancellor from 1871 to 1890. After the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck thought that Germany was in a state which would give up ideas of further conquest. As a result, Bismarck organized a system of alliances designed to maintain Germany's leadership on the European continent. France was determined to challenge the power of Germany because France had been defeated by Germany in 1871 and had been forced to surender two provinces (Alsace-Lorraine) to Germany. Bismarck tried to help Austria, Russia, Italy and Britain in order to isolate France.

Another factor which contributed to the war was imperialism. Great Britain, Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution. As a result, these countries competed for economic expansion in Africa, looking for spices and other natural resources. Most of the countries did not like another countries imperialism, so they were fighting a lot.