Final answer:
Germany was viewed as most threatening to its neighbors due to its rapid economic and military growth, aspirations to be a Great Power, and aggressive military strategies, including the plan for a 'preventive strike'. These developments led to tension and alliances among European powers, setting the stage for World War I.
Step-by-step explanation:
Despite Russia being the largest Great Power, Germany was perceived as the most threatening to its neighbours due to various factors. The unification of Germany significantly upset the power balance in Europe. With a rapidly growing military and industrial capability, Germany surpassed Britain to become the largest economy in Europe. Moreover, German aspirations to become a Great Power akin to Britain and France, and frequent military advancements, alarmed surrounding nations. Germany's aggressive stances and potential for territorial ambitions through its military alliances with the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary contributed to an unsettling predicament. Other European powers forged alliances in response to the perceived German threat, thereby forming military blocs that anticipated the possibility of war.
The tension escalated further with the German military advocating for a 'preventive strike' against rivals such as France. The collision of ambitions and mutual distrust led to the strengthening of Europe's military alliances and heightened the potential for conflict. When World War I broke out, Germany's actions, motivated by a fear of encirclement and the desire to expand territorially, played a pivotal role in the trajectory of the war. Imperialism and the arms race, particularly the naval competition between Britain and Germany, further inflamed international tensions. Additionally, the German Generals' strategy of a swift attack through Belgium to quickly defeat France before addressing the Russian threat, known as the Schlieffen Plan, exemplified the aggressive German military approaches that alarmed other European powers.