The First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The First World War - Essay ExampleThough historians find it very difficult to pinpoint oneness particular event or one particular day when the war trigger was put on. But the events of June 28, 1914 are still remembered as a turn point (Turner, 1970). It is on this day that, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife were assassinated (it was their wedding anniversary) in Sarajevo, Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist student. This province had been to a lower place Austro-Hungarian Empire since 1908. After this assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, followed by the Russian Mobilization the next day. Increasing emphasis on militarism led to the development of reinvigorated weapons. Simultaneously the emergence of trench warfare made the Great War the bloodiest conflict the world had known (The Birmingham Post, 2004)The rise of German personnel after 1870 and its imperialist designs Germany used to be a loose confederation of independe nt states till 1870. On January 18, 1871, these states united under a Prussian king who had the title Kaiser, of the German Empire. Bismarck was the first Chancellor or Prime Minister of the unified Germany. This resulted in gradual expansion of Germany and alternation of distribution of power within europium and a new world order (Henig, 2002). This period referred to as the German Second Reich gave rise to some imperialist designs of Germans. When Austria-Hungary decided to go after Serbia, Germans gave them a silent nod with an assurance of backing it with its firepower if the need arises. There were elements within German establishment who were planning for a showdown with Russia, another big power within the region at that time. But Otto von Bismarck, the