Table of Contents
In conclusion,
Counterargument 1: Alliances
Counterargument 2
World War 1 occurred between 1914 and 1918. It was a terrible, devastating event. But how did this terrible war begin? There are many causes of The Great War. However, nationalism is the biggest. Nationalism, a form of patriotism that is extreme and characterized by feeling superior to other countries, is a form of nationalism. It is also a loyalty to one’s nation. How did Nationalism lead to WW1?
History Home, an English History website, was created by Marjie Boy, a teacher and qualified historian. The site explains that in the early 1900s, nationalism sparked strong competition between Europe’s most powerful states. These countries were Britain, Russia, France and Germany. These nations fought for the right to be the most powerful and militarily strong. The competition between nations caused great tension. This is a direct link to the concept and definition of power. Every nation wanted to be the strongest, so they fiercely competed to get it. The Austria-Hungary empire was plagued by nationalism. The problem was that the empire contained many ethnic groups. Many of these groups wanted independence, but many hated one other. All nationalities in the Empire were required to be treated equally politically and culturally. The nationalist rivalry within the different nationalities escalated eventually. The Austrian empire had to contend with the growing south Slav nationalism among Slovenes (croats) and Serbs. The rapid growth and threat posed by Serbian expansion made the Austrian empire feel very threatened. They therefore decided to eliminate Serbian control. This is a link to the concept o f choice. The Austrian empire chose to attack Serbia because they felt Serbia was more powerful than them. This led to tension between both countries. The nationalism eventually led to the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand by a Serb, which ultimately resulted in WW1.
Many historians and sources agree that Nationalism was a major reason for WW1. Alpha History, which is managed by several former and current historians, as well as Lawrence Rosenthal. Alpha History’s strength is that it is managed in this field by professionals, but its limitation is that they weren’t around during WW1. Access to data might have been difficult. Alpha History explained how citizens of great nations believed that their nation was culturally, economically, and militarily superior. Popular culture and the media spread rumors about other nations and their evil intentions. They also exaggerated the nation’s power, military strength, and successes. People became overconfident about their country, government, military power, and eventually, their nation’s ability to win wars. Their nation would be portrayed by the media as innocent, fair, righteous, or just. However, it would portray the rival countries as aggressive and scheming. This only increased hatred and anger against rival nations.
Nationalism said that War was necessary but easily won. Lawrence Rosenthal is a historian, but his opinions are based on his limited knowledge. He said that nationalism involved the intense emotions that characterise human relationships at lower sociological levels. He called nationalism: aggression outwards, loyalty inwards. This meant that your fierce loyalty to your country could turn into a fierce hatred for your enemies. (
Despite all this evidence, there are still some who believe that naval rivalry was the major cause of the war. A Tutor/Student studying History at the university says that the naval rivalry was a result of German nationalism. German nationalists believed that building a bigger navy would make Britain look less powerful and would allow Germany to take more African colonies. Britain felt threatened by Germany’s plans of building a bigger navy. This led to tensions between the countries. This is a link to Change & Choice. By choosing to build a bigger navy, it altered the relationship between Britain & Germany. Germany made this choice to prove themselves to Britain superior by building a bigger navy. Britain was worried about what would happen. The decision was made and it caused tension between the nations. Jamie Cawley a journalist, claimed that nationalism meant people would compete with one other and was the reason Europe became competitive.
Conclusion: Nationalism was the primary cause of WW1. It created tension among nations, nationalities, and countries. Nationalism was also responsible for many of the problems that led to the outbreak of The great War.
Counterargument 1. Alliances A German military writer called General Friedrich von Bernhardi wrote an article in 1914 on the triple alliance. He explained that Germany, Austria-Hungary and Austria-Hungary formed a alliance because Austria had a lot to do with German history. Also, Germans were very loyal and proud of their country. This historical perspective does have the disadvantage that he is very narrow in his focus. He only speaks about the German-Austrian Alliance. The historian was also an expert in his field as he was alive at that time. He also stated that they had a common language. The Germans were the backbone and union of the Austrian territories. This can be tied to Identities & Relationships. Because of their similarities, Germany and Austria shared a good relationship. It’s clear that these alliances wouldn’t be possible without nationalism.
Counterargument 2; The spark. Although it was true that the spark led to the outbreak WW1, the fact remains that nationalism would have prevented it from happening. Alpha History says this was due to the nationalist movement by Slavic groups within the Balkans. Slavic nationalism ruled Serbia. Pan-Slavism, the belief that Slavics should have their nation, was very popular in Serbia. After Vienna’s annexation Bosnia-Herzegovina, many young people from Serbia joined radical nationist groups such the ‘Black Hand. Black Hand groups hoped to create an all-Slavic state. One of these radical nationalist organizations planned the assassination Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It was this act that triggered World War 1. The assassination was triggered by nationalism. It would not have been possible to execute the assassination without it. Nationalism is therefore more important than assassination itself. This is a link to the concept change. Young Serbs took action after the annexed, which was not something that many others were doing. Nationalism is a movement that encouraged people to take action and change in order to be more free.