IGCSE World War I Causes

<Tab/>World War I began in 1914 after the famous assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. But the Great War undoubtedly did not just happen. There was build up to the catastrophe that began way back to the times of Bismarck. <Tab/>During the German Unification, Bismarck had used a war with France to include the South German States into his German Empire. But in the process, he took …

…meet the Russians (who were slow to mobilize) full force. This was called the Schlieffen Plan. However, the plan included the invasion of France through Belgium, which Great Britain swore to protect. So Great Britain declared war on Germany. Italy sided with the French, reasoning that the Germans were fighting an aggressive war. <Tab/>Thus, most of Europe was brought into the turmoil of World War One after decades of hostility.