World War 1 DBQ
World War 1 DBQ
Prior to the start of World War 1, several countries in Europe were fixated on being the dominant country in Europe, seeking to hold the top position on the social hierarchy among the European nations. After the Age of Imperialism, many Europeans took great pride in their countries’ growth and prosperity. The most powerful countries in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century were becoming wealthier due to the trade from African colonies, while other countries (without income or revenue from colonies) struggled to achieve the same success. A strong sense of militarism in European countries and their root causes from alliances and rivalries contributed to the start of World War One. European countries passionate nationalism and need to show their dominance over other countries were the validation for many of their actions causing WW1. However, the most important underlying cause of World War 1 was militarism in European nations.
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, European countries raced to imperialize Africa for the raw materials needed for Industrialization. Colonies offered their parent country cheap materials, political influence, and affluence. Great Britain, alone, had more than ten times the amount of colonies than Germany before the beginning of WWI (Doc 11). France and Great Britain already established “empires” in Europe and Germany was intent on having one as well. Kaiser Wilhelm II in A Place in the Sun wrote of Germany’s destiny to imperialize Africa and become the leading and most powerful country in Europe. Germany was jealous of Britain’s vast colonies, calling her the “…bloodsucker of the World” in German propaganda (Doc 10). Germany was angry at being seen as the weaker country, “looked down… in political and economic matters” (Kaiser Wilhelm II) by their neighboring countries. In German Chancellor Bulow’s Hammer and Anvil speech, Bulow said Germany intended to overthrow the leading European countries, and with it, their
Prior to the start of World War 1, several countries in Europe were fixated on being the dominant country in Europe, seeking to hold the top position on the social hierarchy among the European nations. After the Age of Imperialism, many Europeans took great pride in their countries’ growth and prosperity. The most powerful countries in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century were becoming wealthier due to the trade from African colonies, while other countries (without income or revenue from colonies) struggled to achieve the same success. A strong sense of militarism in European countries and their root causes from alliances and rivalries contributed to the start of World War One. European countries passionate nationalism and need to show their dominance over other countries were the validation for many of their actions causing WW1. However, the most important underlying cause of World War 1 was militarism in European nations.
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, European countries raced to imperialize Africa for the raw materials needed for Industrialization. Colonies offered their parent country cheap materials, political influence, and affluence. Great Britain, alone, had more than ten times the amount of colonies than Germany before the beginning of WWI (Doc 11). France and Great Britain already established “empires” in Europe and Germany was intent on having one as well. Kaiser Wilhelm II in A Place in the Sun wrote of Germany’s destiny to imperialize Africa and become the leading and most powerful country in Europe. Germany was jealous of Britain’s vast colonies, calling her the “…bloodsucker of the World” in German propaganda (Doc 10). Germany was angry at being seen as the weaker country, “looked down… in political and economic matters” (Kaiser Wilhelm II) by their neighboring countries. In German Chancellor Bulow’s Hammer and Anvil speech, Bulow said Germany intended to overthrow the leading European countries, and with it, their