Was World War 1 Inevitable?

The First World War has established an unforgettable memoir in the history books. World War 1 was a massacre of human life and an important event that determined the present state of the modern world. Yes, World War 1 was inevitable. The foundation of the causes of World War 1 can be traced back to several factors that were building up international tension to the ultimate result of war. In the 1900s, the European countries were extremely competitive in extending their influence around the world. Their competitive nature was motivated by the encouragement of nationalism within countries, the entangled alliances between nations, the arms race and the battle to acquire colonies around the world contributed to the small disputes that exploded to the conclusion of World War 1 with the assassination of Austro-Hungarian heir, Franz Ferdinand.

Firstly, nationalism was a chief contributor to promoting competition between the European countries. In the 1900s, the European countries were experiencing a period of massive industrialization which created a surplus of goods and weapons. As a result, foreign markets had to be dominated to sell goods and to ensure the nation's prosperity. The leaders of Europe instilled patriotic feelings in their citizens and were spreading a belief that their country's superiority made them destined for greatness. The need to control foreign markets provoked a competition for territory which caused further patriotism among the nations in Europe that evolved into a fear and suspicion of other countries. This patriotic attitude was negatively impacting the relationships among the people living in Europe such as in the multinational Austria-Hungary where there were conflicts between different cultural groups due to the desire to be independent from Austro-Hungarian rule. Additionally, the Serbians living in Bosnia murdered Franz Ferdinand because they wanted to be free of Austro-Hungarian rule and return to previous Serbian rule as they felt their