Essay Sample on Origin of World War I

Introduction

In June 1914, the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist terrorist group, had sent groups to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Their first attempt failed when the driver that was carrying the Archduke successfully managed to circumvent a grenade that was directed towards their vehicle. Nevertheless, later during the day, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbia jingoist, managed to assassinate the Archduke together with his wife in Sarajevo, a territory administered by Austria-Hungary (The New American, 2015). Princip conducted the incidence in protest of Austria-Hungary control over the territory. Serbia's main plan was to have control in ruling Bosnia and Herzegovina. The murder of Archduke made Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia. Russia being in treaty with Serbia she began to mobilize for war; Germany ranged war on Russia (The New American, 2015). The incidence resulted in the spread of the war to all those connected in mutual military associations. The formation of military alliances, rapid acceleration of the arms race, and the urge for countries to increase their wealth through acquiring more territories created a breeding ground for war.

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Reason Why the US Could not Maintain Neutrality During World War I

A German boat sunk the British ship Lusitania carrying both passengers and military equipment off the coast of Ireland. It resulted in the death of many passengers, both British and American nationalities. The Americans were annoyed by the incidence since the innocent civilians on board were not warned before the sinking. It resulted in diplomatic tensions between the US and Germany; Lusitania's sinking also increased anti-German slogans in America. Also, a lot of businesspeople from America had an interest in Allied victory. Businesses like J.P Morgan helped fund Allied powers such as British and France by providing loan to them. Supposedly the allied power could have been defeated by the Central power; they would probably not have been able to service their US lenders' debt. This incidence made US business entities to support the campaign aim to encourage US intervention in the war in favor of allied powers. German resorted to unrestricted Submarine warfare to keep goods from arriving in Britain; this was in response to the British blockade. America felt that it was an infringement of their right for free travel; therefore, there were calls from different quarters to defend it. In 1917, Arthur Zimmerman, German foreign minister, directed a telegram message indicating if America declared war, then Mexico should declare war on the US in return. The reward will be that Mexico will get back lost territories during the Mexican-American war. The telegram message was unfortunately tapped by the British and handed to Americans. The publication of the letter incredibly helped galvanized American people against the Germans.

How Entrance of US into World War I Helped Restore Democracy in the World

America's entrance into global affairs during the war played a significant role in restoring the world democratic order. The declaration of war on German by the United States and dispatch of military troops to Europe was responsible for Allied powers' success. The democratic institutions in Western Europe could not have thrived without intervention from the American military. Alternatively, the autocratic Central Powers were unable to make it real their illiberal vision. German aimed to take over the whole of Europe and install Kaiser as its Emperor. Apart from neutralizing France and Britain, Germany planned to annex Belgium, Luxembourg, and seize other territories from Russia. Germany's Victory would mean the death of democracy in the continent of Europe. American decision to participate in the war helped preserve the democratic norms in Europe.

The Fairness of Versailles Treaty and Its Effectiveness in Solving World Peace

Germany got mistreated by the Versailles Treaty, and the severe conditions imposed on Germany created a platform for German politicians to form useful propaganda tools. They twisted and lied about the truth in the Treaty to serve their interest; this resulted in the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime (The New American, 2015). The Treaty of Versailles was fairly crafted to punish Germany. It provided for highly punitive and costly war reparations that helped ruin post-war Germany's economy, resulting in hyperinflation driving millions of its citizens to poverty (The New American, 2015).

Germany had been found guilty of carrying out executions and subjecting innocent civilians in Belgium and other parts of France under the Germans' control. This provided a moral justification for the harsh conditions. Britain and France had suffered massive losses of both lives and property. A significant part of France had been destroyed by the trench warfare that happened in France. This made a justification for monetary conditions that were imposed on Germany.

Reason Why the United Should Not Have Approved the Versailles Treaty

One of the provisions in the Treaty was the formation of the League of Nations to be responsible for preserving world peace and order. At the moment, the League lacked structures and power to enforce its mandate. It had no troops, and some of the decision was very slow; therefore, it was as weak and powerless. The League members were also not representative enough and consisted of members from more powerful nations; therefore, it represented only the interests of more prominent members. This justifies the rejection of the Treaty by the US.

Reference

The New American. (2015). The treaty of Versailles and the rise of Nazism, 1-7. Retrieved 26 September 2020.