Out of all the reasons that led to the abandonment of peace in Europe and convinced countries to war, the most critical factor was militarism. Throughout the 20th century, Europe had mostly been in a state of peace for many years. However, public attitude towards war slowly began to change. From Document C, it is clear to see that countries pursued policies of glorifying war. Document C further described the effect this policy had on people, as shown by General Treitschke’s quote “ War is a biological necessity… War is the father of all things”. The policy led to countries having a more accepting attitude towards war as well as public support. This meant that countries would be more inclined to start a war, and citizens would support them if they did. The
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It created an environment in which it seemed that the best way to solve a disagreement was to go to war rather than solve the problem peacefully. This was a major influence in a country’s decision to enter the war. Likewise, militarism also led to countries competing to produce more battleships. Document B shows that Germany and Great Britain both competed in a naval arms race to produce more dreadnoughts. From the document, you can also see how the production of dreadnoughts in Great Britain rose from 1 in 1906 to 29 in 1914 and Germany’s production of dreadnoughts rose from 0 in 1906 to 19 in 1914. This created a rivalry between the two countries, as both wanted to control the seas. This led to tension between them, as they increased their production even more. They began to view each other as threats and mistrusted each other. This made it likely that if one of the powerhouses were to join in a war, the other would likely join in as well, albeit on the opposing side. In addition, countries started amassing larger armies using conscription, contributing to a faster
It created an environment in which it seemed that the best way to solve a disagreement was to go to war rather than solve the problem peacefully. This was a major influence in a country’s decision to enter the war. Likewise, militarism also led to countries competing to produce more battleships. Document B shows that Germany and Great Britain both competed in a naval arms race to produce more dreadnoughts. From the document, you can also see how the production of dreadnoughts in Great Britain rose from 1 in 1906 to 29 in 1914 and Germany’s production of dreadnoughts rose from 0 in 1906 to 19 in 1914. This created a rivalry between the two countries, as both wanted to control the seas. This led to tension between them, as they increased their production even more. They began to view each other as threats and mistrusted each other. This made it likely that if one of the powerhouses were to join in a war, the other would likely join in as well, albeit on the opposing side. In addition, countries started amassing larger armies using conscription, contributing to a faster