World War One is in its centenary period, so, it won't be out of place to look up the events of the war right now.

Introduction:
First World War was that military conflict that took place between 1914 and 1918 principally among leading European states of the days of yore. Before the war, Europe was divided into two mutually opposing camps: Triple Alliance that was made up of Germany, Austria and Italy on one hand and Triple Entente made up of France, Britain and Russia on the other. The War took place majorly on continental Europe while extending peripherally to other regions of the world like Africa and southwest Asia.
The War claimed more than 16million casualties with almost half of that figure being civilians. Within the four year period that it lasted 4 empires (Ottoman, German, Austro-Hungary and Russian) and 4 dynasties (Hapsburg, Hohenzollern, Romanov and Ottoman) collapsed. It was the first war that improved technology were employed; the velocity and accuracy of guns and bombs used were unprecedented in the history of warfare before that time, rapid shooting guns were used, tanks were employed as well as improved warfare techniques. All these were responsible for the astronomical increase in casualties’ figures.
The War in Brief
The intricate alliance systems had divided Europe into two mutually opposing camps as said earlier. This brought about arms race as each camp scampered to increase her arms stock to prepare for eventualities. The presence of/and increase in arms stockpile brought about militarism. States resorted to resolving issues with the threat of military actions; this heightened tension in Europe. Germany and Austria were Central Powers while Britain, France and Russia were Allied Powers.
The bubble bursted eventually on June 28, 1914 when Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the throne of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnia-Herzegovina was a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a centre of Slavic independence movements. Serbia, a neighbouring independent state with Pan-Slavic appeal, and support from Russia, no doubt, was sympathetic to the cause of the many Slavs in Bosnia. On that fateful day, the Ferdinand was on official state visit to the province and was fatally shot by Gervrillo Princip, a member of one of the groups fighting for the independence of the Slavs in Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Austria held Serbia responsible for the assassination and gave certain conditions that must be met within a certain period of time. This ultimatum expired on July 28, 1914. Austria, riding on the unflinching support given her by Germany, declared war on Serbia that same day and invaded. Russia, not wanting Austria to remove her protégé in the Balkans started full war mobilization. Germany sent warning to Russia to stop the mobilization and the latter waved it aside. Germany then declared war on Russia but instead invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg to attack France from behind. Defiling neutral Belgium was enough excuse for Britain to declare war on Germany.
Within weeks, the entire Europe was engulfed in war. In November, Ottoman Empire joined the War on the side of the Central Powers because of the presence of her traditional enemy – Russia – in the other camp. Italy, which had been on the side of the Central Powers before the War by virtue of her membership of the Triple Alliance, joined the war on the side of the Allied Powers citing a clause of the alliance that Austria defiled as her reason. Bulgaria joined the Central Powers the same year while Romania joined the Allied the following year. In 1917, United States of America joined the war on the side of the Allied Powers.
Two revolutions ensued in Russia and the government collapsed. The succeeding Bolshevik government signed the treat of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers and withdrew from the war while ceding huge territories to the latter. The success of the Central Powers in early 1918 was reversed by mid year. By 4 November, Austria surrendered while Germany surrendered exactly a week later and signed armistice on the 11. This marked the end of hostility but the war was not officially over until the Peace Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919.
Causes of the War.
There have been many scholarly attempts to adduce reasons for the war but I think none has been able to address the issue of the cause(s) of the war. Some of the adduced reasons are economic rivalry, alliance system, change in foreign policies of some states, population explosion, colonial rivalry, arms race, nationalism among many others. Attempt is made here to analyse these so-called causes of the war.
Economic Rivalry: It was said that the war broke out as a result of economic rivalry between and among leading European states like Germany, Britain, France, Russia etc. I find this difficult to accept because economic rivalry is fiercer these days than that time and yet world war 3 is yet to break out. Agreed that states tend to outdo each other in terms of economic prosperity but yet this doesn’t necessarily lead to war of such magnitude of the World War 1. Definitely, something somewhere must have been responsible for the war apart from economic rivalry.
Alliance System: it is pertinent to note that the alliances, when entered into, were for the purpose of preventing war; Bismarck started the alliances to deter France from attacking Germany. If the alliances were the cause of the war, definitely the war ought to have taken place immediately they were formed in late 19th century. No doubt, the alliances aggravated the war but it did not cause it. If truly the alliance system caused the war, I wonder why Italy opposed the members of her primary constituency in the outbreak of the War. United States, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Romania and the endless list of the participants in the War were not part of the alliance systems, why then did they enter the War if truly it was the alliance system that caused the War?
Population Explosion: this is not just absurd but an insult on academic research. The world population in 1800 was 1billion. This rose to 2billion by 1900. Between then and now, the population has grown many folds as the world population now stands at 7billion yet there is no world war. The position of the proponents of this view was that the War was fought as a result of states’ need for more space to cater for the needs of their growing population. Agreed that increase in population ushered in increase in the rate of contact between people of different areas part of which war is.
Change in Foreign Policies: I think this was put forward by British hegemony apologists. Their position is that Britain was in splendid isolation all the while Germany held sway on continental Europe but when Britain decided to take ‘her place’ in Europe, the War broke out. Britain was contented with her colonial possession but was behind Germany in terms of influence on continental Europe, while Germany was not much concerned with colonial possession in her ‘satiated’ state as the foremost European state on the continent. Germany’s decision to rival Britain in colonial possession aggressively and the latter’s decision to have bigger stake on continental Europe pitted them against each other. I don’t see how this caused the War at all. The War broke out in the Balkans and neither of the two had direct stake in the Balkan Peninsula.
Arms Race: Arms race was the decisions of the warring parties to match each other gun for gun, bullet for bullet. This did not cause the War; it only aggravated the War when it broke out. Arms race is a reaction to a situation; it is a preparation for eventuality having been convinced that war was eminent. It is not cause of war: it is a means of war.
The Assassination: it is very funny and bizarre for a state to hold another state responsible for an assassination of her important citizen within her own territory. The assassination did not cause the War; it was only an excuse for war. How many high-profile assassinations have gone down history lane without leading to war? There were the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of Lebanon and many other high profile assassinations
There are other causes of war put forward by different scholars but I’m not convinced they caused the war. To me, the cause of something is anything that would prevent such thing from taking place when removed. In this regard, I make bold to emphasize that the cause of the war has been the cause of all the wars in history: clash of interest.
It is when interests clashed that one would think of ways to resolve it, failure of which power settles the situation. In the case of the World War One, the period between June 28 when Ferdinand was assassinated and July 28 when Austria declared war on and invaded Serbia was spent in finding means of resolving and accessing each side’s chances of victory and loss. Austria was aware of the unflinching support Serbia was likely to get from Russia, thus, she turned to Germany, her supporter and the latter gave her full support. This period, Russia sought what the West’s support would be in the event of a war with German and France and Britain gave her their support. The old alliances were revived while the two camps re-oilled their arms. That was when Britain saw the opportunity to end Germany’s dominance and rivalry; that was the same period Russia saw the need to act like the protector of the Slavs that she prided herself as; that was the same period Ottoman Empire deemed it right to take her pound of flesh on her traditional enemy, Russia.
All the above scenarios enumerated instances of clash of interest spanning many years but there was no ‘ripe’ situation for war until the assassination provided one. Before the war, there were many ‘whys’ to fight war; many ‘hows’ to fight; many ‘wheres’ to fight and many ‘whos’ to fight. The only thing missing was ‘when’ to fight which the Sarajevo event provided.

Consequences of the War.
As with all wars, there were losses of lives and properties; the war also saw the end of 4 empires; it ended the reign of 4 dynasties; the establishment of League of Nations to serve as international agency for prevention of large-scale wars; economic depression; improvement in war research and technology; increased tempo of international relations the beginning of communism in Russia which ushered in the East-West dichotomy/rivalry and many others. Ultimately, the War provided watershed in history of Europe in particular and the world in general.

The above is my opinion, you guys can check my signature, contact me so that we could rub minds together for knowledge sake.

Mynd44, Mogidi, Obinoscopy, Seun Lalasticlala you guys should please take this to Front Page for people to learn about one of the greatest events of 20th century. Thanks.

Lalasticlala Mogidi firefire obinoscopy Seun mynd44 AmbodOfLASU

JBismarck:


On that fateful day, the Ferdinand was on official state visit to the province and was fatally shot by Gervrillo Princip, a member of one of the groups fighting for the independence of the Slavs in Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Austria held Serbia responsible for the assassination and gave certain conditions that must be met within a certain period of time. This ultimatum expired on July 28, 1914. Austria, riding on the unflinching support given her by Germany, declared war on Serbia that same day and invaded. Russia, not wanting Austria to remove her protégé in the Balkans started full war mobilization. Germany sent warning to Russia to stop the mobilization and the latter waved it aside. Germany then declared war on Russia but instead invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg to attack France from behind. Defiling neutral Belgium was enough excuse for Britain to declare war on Germany.

This is funny. Y didn't Germany invade Russia?

Never ever march on Moskow - General Bernard Montgomery.

Zoharariel:


This is funny. Y didn't Germany invade Russia?

Never ever march on Moskow - General Bernard Montgomery.

Lolsss, of course Germany was aware that invading Russia first is tantamount to committing suicide. Germany knew her real enemy lied to her west and not Russia per se. Russia was a traditional enemy of Austria and the latter would be fighting Germany's war in the east while Germany hoped to quickly knock out her western enemy then make a u-turn to face Russia. The same strategy was employed by Germany in WWII codenamed Operation Barbarossa.