America and the Great War/ Essay / Paper by AssignmentLab.com
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AMERICA AND THE GREAT WAR 1 Nationalism, imperialism, and militarism were present at European countries before World War I. They were taking over territories of each other, and building their systems of defense. People supported them because they were patriots of their countries and were ready to do anything to protect them. Then assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand took place and people stated blaming each other for this. As a result, the war was started. Nationalism undermined some Great powers. In many countries it contributed to the war atmosphere and made it difficult for the policymakers to step back. At the same time imperialism created a new field for competition among the Great Powers –Germans saw that powerful navy and overseas colonies were necessary elements of Great Power. Nationalism has played a key role in creating a crisis of survival for Austro-Hungary, and effect of nationalism and imperialism led Germany towards Britain (Role of Nationalism in Outbreak of WWI). Pan-Slavism raised in the decade preceding World War I in the Easter Europe. It was a movement that promoted the cultural and political unity of all Slavic people. Pan-Slav agitation played a significant role in the growing conflict between Austria and Russia in the Balkan Peninsula, where Austria was opposed by the Serbs. In 1908 Russia had to allow Austrian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but already in 1914 it supported Serbia in the crisis that started World War I. Pan-Slavism was renounced by the Soviet government after the Bolsheviks triumph in the Russian Revolution of 1917 (Pan-Slavism). The alliance system contributed to the ultimate outbreak of war because it encouraged countries to enter into mutual alliance to protect each other in the case of war, at the same time grouping against other alliance: 28 July 1914 –Austria blamed Serbia for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and declared a war on Serbia. Russia was allied with Serbia, but Germany did not believe that
America and the Great War/ Essay / Paper by AssignmentLab.com
