Question

Explain how militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism, and ethnic groups contributed to

start of the First World War by selecting three of these factors and providing connections to th
events that led to World War One. Place an emphasis on the political and social factors and
provide specific examples from different countries. Your essay must cover four of the six maj
powers of Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Austro-Hungary, and the United
States in your essay.
This is a five paragraph essay with a thesis statement. You need an introductory paragraph, the
body paragraphs of at least four sentences, and a closing paragraph. You must have three
references with proper citations using MLA format. Your thesis statement should reference ea
factor you plan to write about in the body paragraphs and provide an overall theme for your
work. A good technique for your closing paragraph is to restate or reword your thesis stateme
then explain further how you have proved it.
Do not simply explain what the factors are in your essay. You need to connect them and their
effects to the events that led to WW1. Explaining what nationalism is without making
connections or analyzing its effects will result in a low score. Many of you avoid writing to t
prompt and making connections, instead just explaining what a term is instead of thinking ha
doing research, and making connections that allow you to demonstrate historical understandin
а
Posted Mon Oct 22

Answer 1

The factors of imperialism, alliances, and nationalism contributed to the start of World War One, with examples including the competition for colonies, the system of alliances, and rise of nationalistic sentiments.

Step-by-step explanation:

The factors of militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism, and ethnic groups contributed to the start of the First World War. Three of these factors that had significant impacts were imperialism, alliances, and nationalism. Imperialism, where countries sought to expand their empires and control colonies, led to increased competition and tensions between major powers. For example, the rivalry between Britain and Germany over colonies in Africa and Asia contributed to the growing tensions in Europe.

Alliances were another key factor. The system of alliances that formed in Europe created a complex web of obligations and commitments. An attack on one country would trigger a chain reaction of alliances, dragging multiple nations into the conflict. The most significant alliance was the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and the UK) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary, and later, the Ottoman Empire). When the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist occurred, it triggered a series of alliances and escalations that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War One.

Nationalism also played a crucial role. Nationalistic sentiments and desires for self-determination were strong in many European countries. This led to heightened tensions and rivalries between different ethnic groups and nations. For example, the rise of Pan-Slavism, a movement that aimed to unite all Slavic peoples, contributed to the conflict in the Balkans. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by a Serbian nationalist demonstrated the power of nationalist sentiments and sparked a crisis between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.

Learn more about Causes of World War One