Discuss The Causes Of World War 1

The British impressed thousands of American sailors into the Royal Army, punishing Americans despite America’s state of sovereignty during Britain’s war with France. This blatant disrespect of America’s neutrality was a big factor in America’s decision to declare war against Britain. Furthermore, the British still kept the Orders in Council even after America passed several embargo policies hoping for change. The policies were ignored by the British and Americans were only harmed by Jefferson and Madison’s attempts for peace. Ultimately, the War of 1812 was due to Britain’s inability to respect America as a nation separate from the French and British

Along with pride and territory, British impressment of American sailors was another issue the Americans needed to deal with. The British was forcibly drafting American sailors at sea. Another goal America had in joining the War was to reestablish and secure trade routes with France. The English was blocking American trade with France. Both the impressment of American Sailors and blocking trade with France was spilling over policies England had adopted during the prosecution of the war with France.

This feeling radiates though the leadership of the country and can be a causing factor of hostilities between nations. This on its own could not create a war as large as ww1, simply the world was set and staged for war and at the core nationalism was degrading the foundations of peace. Militarism, a competition between countries as to who has the largest military was a large factor in the scale of the war and the lives lost. Years prior to the war there was a steady growth in the military strength of all European nations especially those who were involved in ww1 and neighboring one another. As combinations of militarism and nationalism creates a deadly tinder pile ready for a spark.

However, there were also many differences between the two expansionist periods because some people supported imperialism while others were highly opposed to the idea. It was evident in both cases of expansion that the United States was a stubborn nation that would take what they wanted at any cost. Americans risked war and national safety for the purpose of gaining land, or simply proving their dominance as a World Power. Americans pushed aside the Native Americans who inhabited the land they wanted in the early years of expansionism. They believed that the land was

While the United States proclaimed itself as a neutral country in the beginning of the devastating first World War, many disagree with the statement that America wanted to remain neutral for various reasons. World War I began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, then quickly escalated to division into two sides between European countries; including the Allied Powers, which consisted of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the Central Powers that included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Since the United States made it obvious they favored the Allied Powers before they entered World War I, the other countries against these nations took this friendliness between the countries and America as a threat and interference of war. This resulted in the Central Powers noticing an unfair disadvantage for themselves. If the U.S. was truly neutral, they would not have interfered in war with the accomodations relating to their connections with Britain.

Those same Virginians, as tobacco planters and slave-owners, were also deeply upset by imperial trade policy The governments response’s to the burgesses petitions would affect the allegiance to Britain by men like Jefferson and Washington. ‘What worried the states men in the mother country was the likelihood that, if Virginians had occupied Kentucky, Indians would attack them, and the British might have to come and rescue at great cost to the imperial treasury” (5) The 1758 Treaty of Easton, which gave the Indians all the land west of the Appalachian, did not help their cause. Holton alludes to many other instances where the colonists wanted to expand but was consistently overlooked by the imperial government. The Indians caused the British to fear another war. Essentially, Holton makes it seem like the British were more on the side of the Indians then they were for their own colonists.

The US wanted “peace without victory”, France wanted to cripple Germany and gain security from the treaty and Britain wanted middle ground of wat the US and Germany wanted (Treaty of Versailles: How America, France & Britain Benefited.). Consequently the treaty was written for the benefit of each

In his time as President, he had had to deal with the Quasi-War, “America 's first major international crisis,” between Britain, France, and America (Florence). This meant that Adams had to make many major decisions in regards to the nation’s commerce and defense. “Some extreme Federalists were ready for a fight, but President Adams disappointed them, refusing to press war against Virginia or France (Florence).” His decision angered many

In 1919 WWI just ended, the Allied powers convened the Paris Peace Conference to determine punishments for the Central Powers and the Allies’ benefits for helping win the war. The new compromises were composed of false hopes and promises, disputed territorial claims, and a weak League of Nations that soon fell apart, because of these, tensions arose and the conference became a catalyst for WW2. Japan contributed greatly to help win WW1, however, they were not seen as equals, and they were not part of the Big 4, that was composed of, Briton, Italy, France and the chairman of the conference the United States. Japan having lost lives and property from the war thought they should be equals with the Big 4 and not have policies made unfairly against them. The proposal received a majority vote, however, the Big 4 voted against the proposal and the United States as chairman stopped it.

She perceived the Franco-Russian alliance as a threat and should have – as a logical next step – sought an alliance with likeminded powers such as Germany. Germany had in fact made several attempts to form an alliance with Britain but never succeeded. According to Henry Kissinger, “Britain would make only two types of agreements: limited military agreements to deal with definable, clearly specified dangers; or entente-type arrangements to cooperate diplomatically on those issues in which interests with another country ran parallel.” Germany had been using the wrong approach to this matter. She requested a full military alliance which Britain felt would have been too great of a commitment and would not have allowed her to decide freely when and to what extent she would get involved. This was partly the reason why Britain, against all odds found herself signing Ententes with France and Russia, the very powers that she had been feeling threatened by.