The paper will analyze the World War I and how it came about to be considered as a global war. Global war refers to a conflict or rather an uprising war involving many countries across the globe. Most powerful countries participating in the war make it alarming. Different parts of the world are engaged in the war ranging from various continents. Thus, the war occurs globally hence the name global war. The war began on 28 th of July 1914. The primary cause of the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. A conflict arose between Serbia and Austria. Later, it turned out to involve more powerful countries who came in support such as Russia and Germany (Sondhaus, 2011). The world war 1 was fought on various fronts involving various nations in alliances across the world.
First, the formation of alliances promoted the war to be a global affair. Before the war, we had several alliances that had already formed. Russia was in collaboration with Serbia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, France and Russia, and lastly Britain, France, and Belgium. Thus, when Austria- Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia came in support of Serbia. Germany thus, as a result, came in to support Austria- Hungary by declaring war on Russia. According to Wiegand (1989) Subsequently, Germany made an attack on France via Belgium which indirectly forced japan and Britain into the war. Later, the United States of America and Italy joined the war on the side of the allies. It is through the backing up of the countries that resulted in the war going global. The super powers came in to offer support to the smaller countries. Their enemies did that by siding with the opponents, at the end of it all; several countries were pulled into the war either directly or as a result of offering support to the other countries that initially had been at war. According to Sondhaus (2011), it is through the backing up of the countries that were in the war that made the war be a global phenomenon.
Illustratively, as the war began, the major superpowers had already consolidated their allies. Thus, they had empires across various parts of the world. Those empires paid allegiance to the super powers. For example, France had an empire in West Africa. Thus, soldiers who went ahead to help support in the war were from Africa Wiegand (1989. Africa slowly was swayed into the war as a source militia during the war. The war later spread to Africa as a result. It is through the provision of soldiers to help the super powers to fight that promoted the war to be a global affair. On the other hand, the war in Turkey was as a result of the New Zealand and Australians engaging in the war as a form of solidarity. It through such teaming that made world war I to be a global affair or conflict since many parts of the world were coming up to assist the allies.
Furthermore, World War I was a global affair since many countries came in and joined the war hoping they will be beneficiaries of the war. A perfect example is when a country like Japan which is far from Europe joins the allies in the war hoping to gain for offering a back up to the allies in their engagement during the war. The act of small countries having fallacies of benefiting from the war by siding various defense alliances made the war to be a global affair Wiegand (1989). Countries were promised to ripe greatly from the war hence gave absolute allegiance to the alliances in pursuit for being great beneficiaries when the war could come to an end. The act rather promoted the war to go viral thus being a global issue as viewed above.
Additionally, World War I became a matter of global concern due to the allegiance to the allies. They were used as stepping stone to provide the global balance of power. Apart from the solidarity that the smaller countries had to the alliances, the countries had more factors that brought them together as partners as shown in Sondhaus (2011). They include; trade, politics, federal power among others. Hence, it was crystal clear that a country had to support their super powers when the war was triggered. They had to protect what they gained in return from the various super powers hence had no reason desert the them during but to the war. The owing of total support to achieve a variety of favors from the alliance made it possible for the war to involve more countries in the war thus making it be a global conflict. Giving back to the union pulled other countries into the war. Hence, that was tangible enough for the war to be regarded as a global warfare.
Additionally, imperialism also was another reason that led the World War I to become global. From definition, imperialism refers to a situation whereby a country increases their assets and power by bringing more territories under their leadership. Sondhaus (2011) further argues that before the onset of World War I, places like Africa and Asia were a point of interest to the European powers. The majority of the major superpowers had begun to have interests in the two continents. Availability of resources and labor was associated with the two places. More competition and desire to run such regions increased more tension and the spread of the war into a global issue. Thus, when the war broke, Africa and Asia since they were under the leadership of some major European powers were fused into the war indirectly to support their leadership. It is through such occurrence that makes it a global war in return for their participation in the war.
Moreover, the 20th century experienced militarism across Europe. Germany was on the front line of acquiring more ammunition and equipping their armies much stronger. The Great Britain also took the same initiative to strengthen its navies. Russia also came in swiftly and was on the verge of keeping its marines prepared for war. Thus, when the war was begun, countries that involved themselves in the war were trying to showcase their high military skills and ammunition. As a result, each state sought to outshine the other. It later was termed a global war due to the many countries that joined the war as a result of proving to the others their strong armies leading to extensive participation of the countries in the war.
Consequently, nationalism significantly contributed to World War I being considered a global war. First, it refers to a state of patriotism and loyalty to one's country over the others. Wiegand (1989)The Slavic people did not want to be a part of the Austria- Hungary territory; they opted to be in the Serbian location, as a result, nationalism developed between them. Nationalism insulates the idea one country considering being more superior to the others. Therefore, not only did nationalism be a frontier to the World War I but also the long extension of the war. Each country came about to prove its dominance and power over others. The more countries tried to prove their nationalism the more countries joined the war. It later turned out to be a global war as a result of the patriotism that goes about with nationalism.
As mentioned earlier, the primary reason for the onset of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After the assassination, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, as a result of Serbias allegiance to Russia, it came to offer support. Germany closely comes in and declares war on Russia too, the mobilization of other nations led to the expansion of the war from two countries to other countries of the world Sondhaus (2011). The spread of the war was as result of countries coming in to offer support to their partners on the alliances formed at that time. Therefore, it is relevant to mention that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand became a global issue due to the increasing parties that wanted to help the war between Serbia and Austria- Hungary causing the war to be a global problem as well.
Therefore, in an outbreak of a situation, there is also an opportunity that comes with it. During the outbreak of the war, countries and European states wherein the rush to acquire a variety of resources and raw materials from many of the worlds as the unrest continued to take another twisting point. The rush to acquire states and colonies involved use engaging in violent wars to bring about the order. As a result, those places were under the control of the opportunists who also were offering their support to their fellow countrymen who were involved in the war. James (1918) the grabbing of resources and materials spread the war to other parts of the world. Africa was rich in surplus resources, for instance. Thus, the major powers also used Africans as the source of labour to the war. Africans were considered to be strong and superior from their natural physique hence forced into the war. It turned out to go globally through the initiative of the opportunists to grab resources and materials in the war from various parts of the world.
Additionally, the stage set before the onset of World War I resulted in the participation of many nations. The conflict between the two nations the way it was initiated was clearly going to call upon other countries to step in. The initial set up was vulnerable hence nations were either subjected both directly and indirectly into the war. According to James (1918) the war spread globally due to the political differences, norms, and formation of alliances hence resulting to the war going viral. Thus, the initial set up for the conflict was vulnerable in that it curbs other nations to join the war hence an issue of global concern.
Similarly, World War I was an issue of global concern because the effects that came with the war were able to spread fast in many parts of the world over a short period. Every single civilization that was taking place during the war was also affected. In fact, the spread of the effects of World War I made the war global. Everything came to a standstill. The outcome was drastic and catastrophic.
Illustratively, World War I not only had physical effects to civilization but also economically, physically, socially, geographically and psychologically Sondhaus (2011.) Therefore, the war was terrible and adverse. The alarming number of deaths cases tripled day in day out. Close to twenty million perished in the war. According to Hauner (1981) the number of casualties sustaining injuries was in millions. Therefore, it was evident enough on how the war turned out to be an issue of global concern. It was evident that the war was a world crisis that made the phase of the earth to be termed dark.
Still, on the same, the economic level of the world was brought to a huge stand still. Each country that participated in the war was greatly affected. The geographical makeup too was unbearable. Germany which turned out to be most hated suffered billions of losses in the war. The world economy was simultaneously affected by the war Sondhaus (2011). The low economic levels experienced by several nations across the world were enough to call the war an issue of global concern. A lot of business and economic activities were shut down; as a result, countries that did not participate in the war came to the rescue of the economy of the world because the effects were also experienced to them indirectly as well.
Consequently, diplomatic ties were broken as a result of the war. The peace, serenity, and tranquility that existed before the onset of the world war were no longer. There was no love, peace or harmony among nations. Diplomatic treaties that united nations across the globe were broken. Nations turned against the peaceful co-existence of that time. Sondhaus (2011) As a result of the destruction of the diplomatic cohesion among nations, the war was enough to be a global crisis that needed close intervention. Such occurrence led World War I to be an issue of global co...
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