MAIN Causes of WW1

Main Causes of the First World War

MILITARISM

ALLIANCES

New weapons heightened tensions among European nations, creating an armaments race

IMPERIALISM

NATIONALISM

Alliances were intended to increase rigidity during tensions, but when put to the test, alliances were questioned and high-crisis management was pursued

Imperialist cultures proliferated around Europe. Colonial expansions in the period were fuelled by the idea of social Darwinism, which raised tensions. on the Continent

Nationalism stemmed from the French revolution and can be traced to a significant factor behind the acceleration of WW1. The unification of Germany and the rising tide of nationalism in the Ottoman Balkans drove the war effort