Question

impact of nationalism on first world war

Answer 1

Allysa

        Nationalism greatly affected World War I in multiple ways. Despite the common idea that the First World War was initiated by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, that Serbia, a Balkan country under Russian protection, received the blame. Even though this was a true event, his death could not be the only catalyst of a global war. Instead, nationalism was a primary cause to the four-year conflict that would cataclysmically change Europe forever. Because several factors that provoked the war were results of nationalism in different European nations, some of the largest causes towards the war were German unification – which later upset the central European balance of power, as well as territorial rivalries. Among all of the many European states and peoples, the fuel of nationalistic ideas was further strengthened by factors of competition within European territories. Furthermore, with regards that there are certainly other such as Social Darwinism and militarism. Also, economic competition was influenced by nationalist feeling as the extreme pride of each country – partially based on industrial capacities as well as colonies – led root causes that provoked the first World War, nationalism was definitely a great cause based on the factors and events in which it triggered that eventually led to the First World War