World War 1 vs World War 2 Essay Example

Despite the fact that the 'trigger' to World War 1 was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the war to end all wars or World War 1 was not preventable. Imperialism, alliances and militarism were the prime causes for WW1. Imperialism was the fierce competition between industrialized nations for resources. The competition from nations created tension and rivalries to gain colonies. The Alliances were needed to 'keep' the peace between all nations and ensure protection from each other. Instead of keeping the peace the Alliances were the source for the war, it caused confusion because of the secret Alliances. The final cause leading up to the war was militarism, which was a result of imperialism and alliances combined. Militarism was the competition of military and artillery it supported and protected the colonies, while also securing national safety when Alliances were created. Imperialism forced European nations to compete against each other for economic resources. Karl Marx theorized that conflict is caused by competition, and the competition between nations would lead to war. A clear example of this was the Boer war in South Africa. Great Britain was competing with the Dutch and the Zulu's for land in Africa. In South Africa there were massive gold mines and plentiful diamonds. The Zulu's, Dutch and the British had fought over who should rightfully own the land. In the end of the bloodshed, the British had conquered the area. Britain had the money, the men and the industrialization which to them made it an 'easy' victory. Imperialism called for militarism for the protection of the many newfound colonies. Bigger, more powerful militaries ensured protection against other nations who could over take ones colonies. Industrialization encouraged national pride. The citizens supported their country's actions, and the people just as their country competed against each other. This pride was shown all across nations. In Great Britain the had a well