Causes of World War I

The major powers that involved in World War I perhaps did sense that they were on the brink of incalculable catastrophe, but the more they tried to prevent the war, the closer they got to it. It all began with alliances. Russia felt it needed to protect its Slavic friend Serbia and began to mobilize, feeling it had no other choice. Yet Germany took this as a declaration of war and declared war on Russia. …

…powers to demobilize and prevent the war. The major European powers knew they were heading to war, but war to them was not how it turned out to be. War was an event of glory and heroism. Although all the powers sensed that they were on the brink of war, they did not take it seriously enough and did not do enough to prevent it as they were in such a hurry to start fighting.