MYP History Causes of Major Conflicts Notes

Causes of Major Conflicts: Why Do Large-Scale Wars Begin?

1. Wars start when long-term tensions and short-term triggers collide.
2. WWI and WWII show how rivalry, pride, fear, and bad diplomacy can transform a local crisis into a global catastrophe.
3. Understanding these patterns helps explain the entire 20th century, and many conflicts today.

Key Factors That Led to WWI (Long-Term Causes)

Nationalism

1. Nationalism made countries emotionally invested in proving their strength, superiority, and independence. It wasn’t just politics, it was pride.
2. Germany, France, Russia, and Britain all had strong national identities and wanted to protect or expand their influence.
3. Serbian nationalism was especially intense. Serbia wanted to unite all Serbs into one “Greater Serbia,” including those living inside Austria-Hungary. This directly threatened Austria-Hungary’s control over the Balkans.
4. France had never accepted losing Alsace-Lorraine to Germany in 1871. Regaining this territory became a national mission: a symbol of French pride and revenge.
5. Across Europe, schoolbooks, newspapers, and propaganda reinforced the idea that defending the nation, even through war, was honorable and necessary.

Militarism

1. Militarism is the belief that strong armed forces are essential for national greatness. By 1914, European countries valued military power as much as economic or political strength.
2. Governments invested heavily in new weapons, including machine guns, long-range artillery, and modern battleships.
3. Germany and Britain entered into a massive naval arms race, each trying to outproduce the other. Germany built Dreadnought-type battleships to challenge Britain’s dominant navy, something Britain saw as a direct threat to its empire.
4. Military leaders gained huge political influence. In many countries, generals were listened to more than diplomats, making peaceful solutions less likely.
5. War was increasingly seen as inevitable, a test of national strength rather than a tragedy to avoid.

Imperialism

1. European powers competed for colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The more territory you had, the more powerful you were seen to be.
2. This created jealousy and suspicion. Germany entered the imperial race late and felt “cheated” compared to Britain and France, increasing resentment.
3. Conflicts over territory, such as the Moroccan Crises (1905 and 1911), where Germany challenged France’s control of Morocco, brought Europe close to war even before 1914.
4. Imperial competition made nations view each other as rivals, not partners. Every gain by one empire felt like a loss for another.

Alliances

1. To protect themselves, European powers formed defensive alliances. But instead of creating safety, these alliances created rigid blocs.
2. Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
3. Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia
4. Each alliance promised military support if a member was attacked. This meant a small dispute involving two countries could quickly drag in six or more nations.
5. Alliances encouraged risky behaviour: leaders acted more aggressively because they believed their partners would back them.
6. By 1914, Europe was split into two powerful camps facing each other, making war far more likely if any spark appeared.

Balkan Tensions

1. The Ottoman Empire was weakening (“the sick man of Europe”), leaving a power vacuum in the Balkans.
2. Different ethnic groups wanted independence, while larger powers wanted influence.
3. Serbia saw itself as the leader of Slavic peoples and wanted to expand.
4. Austria-Hungary feared Serbian nationalism because it threatened the unity of its multi-ethnic empire.
5. Russia supported Serbia because both were Slavic and Orthodox Christian, giving Serbia a powerful ally.
6. The region became a hotbed of assassinations, rebellions, and border disputes, making it the most unstable part of Europe.
7. Two Balkan Wars (1912–13) had already shown how explosive the region was, and Europe watched nervously as tensions grew.

Short-Term Causes of WWI

1. Bosnian Crisis (1908)
   1. Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia.
   2. Serbia and Russia were angered; Austria grew more confident.
   3. Increased tension in the Balkans.
2. Moroccan Crises (1905 & 1911)
   1. Germany challenged France in Morocco.
   2. Britain supported France, strengthening their alliance.
   3. Germany felt isolated and resentful.
3. Balkan Wars (1912–1913)
   1. Balkan states defeated the Ottoman Empire.
   2. Serbia became stronger, worrying Austria-Hungary.
   3. Austria determined to weaken Serbia.
4. Assassination of Franz Ferdinand (June 1914)
   1. Murdered by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist.
   2. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia.
5. July Crisis (July 1914)
   1. Austria, backed by Germany, sent Serbia a harsh ultimatum.
   2. Russia mobilised; Germany mobilised; alliances activated.