Domestic Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n Whilst most studies of the causes of the war will look at relationships between the Great Powers and the way that the Alliance system led to an inexorable march to war, little is made of the reasons why diplomacy wasn\u2019t given much of a chance. Of course that is a rather complex issue. There\u2019s an argument that diplomacy simply wasn\u2019t wanted, that one or more of the great powers was hell bent on having a war \u2013 and not wanting to wait \u2013 but there are also domestic issues that need to be considered. Of course there had been a build up of tensions over the years; clashes over territories; an arms race and, perhaps most notably; conflicts in the Balkans. None of these had led to a continental war though. One of the key differences in 1914, as opposed to earlier issues in the Balkans, was the state of Domestic affairs in some of the Great Nations of Europe.<\/p>\n The British were so busy contending with a triple crisis (potential Civil War in Ireland, The increasing violence of the Suffragette Movement<\/a> and Industrial Unrest) that there was little time given to assessments of the situation in the Balkans. The Cabinet was faced with the very real prospect of violence in its own backyard. Consequently the time given over to assessing the situation following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand<\/a> was limited. Even in the week before the war started the issues, particularly of Home Rule, dominated. Had the Cabinet been less pressured, remembering that Asquith was both Prime Minister and Minister for War at this critical point, they may have been better placed to assess the situation and make the British position on issues clear to the Germans in particular. Those same Germans, and the Russians, \u00a0had serious domestic issues of their own to contend with.<\/p>\n Timing<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s something rather Machiavellian about the timing of many events and decisions in the build up to the war. The lack of time allowed for the Serbs to consider the ultimatum is well documented. The German assessment of the time scale for Russian arms development; the timing of communications relating to diplomacy (just as Poincare is unobtainable at sea) are less well mentioned. The first leads to a \u2018now is better than later\u2019 attitude to war; the latter makes diplomacy and a more resolute French response to the issues difficult, if not impossible. Of course the timings, if deliberate rather than simply coincidence, add to the argument that warmongering made the whole thing inevitable.<\/p>\n Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s mention of rapidly developing rail networks throughout Europe, of transatlantic transport, of new inventions that are transforming the Industrial Age into one more closely associated with the modern world. Often ignored is the fact that most of the people who could have made a difference were reliant on a communications network that was far from ideal. As already noted, Poincare was virtually unobtainable at a critical time. Attaches and Ambassadors relied on telegraph networks that were often not based close to their residences or offices. In the final days of peace the ability to communicate was further hindered by jamming of communications. Principally designed to hinder mobilisation and with war seen as almost inevitable, it also hinders those who sought to seek last minute resolutions: telegraph operators are inundated and messages, even from the most powerful men of Europe, could be left unattended for some time. All in all, not the best way of trying to avert a conflict at the last minute.<\/p>\n The Printed Press<\/strong><\/p>\n Put bluntly the governments of the warring parties needed to have the public behind them. Especially so at a time when there was civil unrest in large parts of Europe and the fear of revolution. The handling of the printed press by the leaders of the Great Powers in the build up to the war is often overlooked. In Britain it is generally the case that the build up of tensions was hardly reported until the final days of peace. Leader columns had concentrated, in most papers, on Domestic issues. However there were some British press magnates who spoke out. Lord Rothschild, owner of the Daily Mail, was outspoken at times. The ability, or lack of, for a Government to influence how things were reported were of great consequence in affecting public mood. A case in point being the reporting of the ultimatum given by the Kaiser to the Belgians. Whilst it was a huge misunderstanding, to say the least, on the part of the Kaiser, the reporting of the ultimatum can be seen as one of the major reasons for public opinion changing \u2013 even at that late stage.<\/p>\n The Ottoman Empire<\/strong><\/p>\n Lets be honest now\u2026 how many teachers make more than a passing comment about the Ottoman Empire when discussing the causes of the First World War? Not many could based on lessons I\u2019ve observed. Yet the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire contributed greatly to the instability in the Balkans, the arrival of the Young Turks altered things in relation to control of the Bosphorus and the eastern Mediterranean. Surely, worthy of a mention?<\/p>\n Overview<\/p>\n Our timeline of causes<\/a> of the first world war illustrates that it was a combination of events, beliefs and factors that led to the outbreak of conflict<\/a> in the summer of 1914. It is a complex set of small incidents that we can categorise as being militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism. It’s easy to forget that it was a world war. The focus upon the Western Front lends itself to looking at western actions: the war was reliant from it’s outset on global support.<\/p>\n [products limit=”4″ columns=”4″ category=”first-world-war” cat_operator=”AND”]<\/p>\n First World War<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Causes of the First World War<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Timeline of Causes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Forgotten Causes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Assassination of Franz Ferdinand<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Schlieffen Plan<\/a>\u00a0– Historiography of the Causes of the First World War<\/a><\/p>\n Outbreak of War<\/strong>\u00a0(Public reaction in Britain)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The British Expeditionary Force in 1914<\/a><\/p>\n Trench Warfare<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Simulation: Would you make a good officer in the trenches?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0British contribution to the Western Front<\/a><\/p>\n Battles of the First World War<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0First Battle of the Marne\u00a0<\/a>\u2013\u00a0The Gallipoli Campaign<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Verdun<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Jutland<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Brusilov Offensive<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of the Somme<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Passchendaele<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Spring Offensive<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Amiens<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Victory on the Western Front?<\/a><\/p>\n The Home Front<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Revision exercise<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Changing role of Women<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Propaganda<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Censorship<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Conscientious Objectors<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Rationing and Recruitment<\/a><\/p>\n Personalities<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Douglas Haig and the Somme<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Charles Gass<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Billy Bishop<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ludendorff<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Bradford Pals<\/a>\u00a0– Black History and the First World War<\/a><\/p>\n Technology and New Weapons<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>British Tanks<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Machine Guns<\/a><\/p>\n Medicine in the First World War<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Norman Conquest<\/a> – The Wars of the Roses<\/a> – The British and English Civil Wars<\/a> – The Second World War<\/a>\u00a0– Vietnam War<\/a> – Cold War<\/a><\/p>\n Battle of Hastings<\/a>\u00a0– Battle of Towton<\/a> – Battle of Bosworth<\/a> – D Day<\/a><\/p>\n The British Empire<\/a> – The Treaty of Versailles<\/a> – Impact of the War on Germany<\/a>\u00a0– Primary History<\/a> – History Teachers Resources<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/causes_first_world_war-300x196.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nOther wars:<\/h4>\n
Famous Battles:<\/h4>\n
Related Content:<\/h4>\n