Introduction
There are numerous authors who have endeavoured to identify and describe the factors which triggered the First World War. John Merriman has given an account of the events which prepared the ground for the war to start. In his description of the war, it is clear that Europe played a key role towards the formation of the war alliances.
Europe is said to have formed a series of alliances which were later used in the war. It was the ideological compromise between France and Russia, which started in the twentieth century that led to the war alliances. The following are the key factors that sparked the First World War.
The Causes of the First World War
First, the growth of nationalism in Europe was largely untamable. The French Revolution caused a strong sense of nationalism, which was spread in many parts of Europe. Ideologies of sovereignty dominated the minds of European leaders. It, therefore, became a duty of European leaders at the time to spread the wave of nationalism in other parts of the world. In so doing, nationalism formed a strong political force which eventually led to the First World War.
Secondly, the unresolved conflicts in Europe were a propelling force of the First World War. John Merriman gives an elaborate account of the years preceding the war. In his analysis, the factors which caused the war were intertwined. The four decades, which preceded the war, were marred by hostility and conflicts between different states in Europe. A period of militarism was created.
The statesmen further formed alliances to support their militarism agenda. The weapons and army training was not enough, and alignments of military power were formed. The imperialism factors could not be ruled out at the initial stages of the war. The war emanated from the Central Europe and later spread to other parts of the world.
Thirdly, the factors mentioned above were aggravated by the existence of diplomatic problems between the superpowers of Europe by the time. As John Merriman puts it, diplomatic clashes created a period of tension between the European superpowers. The diplomatic clashes occurred at a time when there was a crucial imbalance of power in Europe.
The tensions created over the territory of the Balkans were a spark to the war which had long been prepared for. The untamed competition between Russia, Serbia and Austria-Hungary eventually caused other European powers to join the war.
Fourth, the period before the war was attributed to countries accumulating wealth through the control of overseas colonies. United Kingdom and France were extremely wealthy and powerful through colonial control of trade and resources. Russia and other European countries had similar ambitions, which were repeatedly frustrated by the United Kingdom. This created tensions, which gave birth to the war.
The Role of America Entering the War and Russia’s Exit
During the initial stages of the war, America maintained a neutral stand. The American participation in the war was caused by the German use of the U-boat which killed 128 Americans. The American participation played a crucial role in the defeat of Germany. The victory of the Allied powers was due to the American support. The exit of Russia from the war weakened the Allied forces. The Allied forces would have faced a defeat, if American forces never intervened.
Conclusion
The First World War was caused by a series of factors intertwined together has John Merriman asserts. Central Europe played a leading role in the war. The Allied forces were seriously weakened by the exit of Russia from the war. The American venture in the war strengthened the Allied forces.