Was Germany Really Responsible for Causing WWI

The main events that probably triggered the war at that time were most probably the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the opposing alliances and the arms race between Britain and Germany. Although some countries can be blamed to a larger extent, all the countries that started the war are to blame in some way because without their actions nothing would have happened, although it is true to say another war may have happened anyway.

Historically Germany has always been blamed for World War 1 because of its leadership and actions in the run up to the war. Most of the reasons are linked to its ambition to create an empire; due to this war was inevitable. Germany had created many alliances and backed countries even when they wouldn’t gain just to appear more powerful. Another one of the main reasons is that Germany started the arms race by trying to compete with the British Navy.

Germany is blamed because of its backing to go to war with Austria-Hungary if they went to war against Serbia. If this had not been agreed then the rest of the problems would not have happened because Austria Hungary would have been forced into making a diplomatic approach with Serbia. Another main reason in 1914 was the use of the Schliefeln plan, which dragged Belgium into the war, and then gave the British an excuse to enter which dramatically increased the size of the war, because the Germans attacked France through Belgium.

There are even more long term reasons that can be used for blaming Germany; these include an arms race with Britain, its colonial ambitions, its alliance with Austria and also its occupation of part of old France, Alsace Lorraine. The arms race with Britain and its colonial ambitions link together because it needed a stronger navy and armed forces to be able to fight off Britain’s empire if Germany was to build its own. The alliance with Austria and Italy, that went back for about 30 years didn’t help the situation because if one of its allies went to war then they would also be dragged into it even if they didn’t need to. Finally its occupation of Alsace Lorraine wouldn’t help because if it had returned it to the French then there would not have been a rivalry that caused the creation of the alliances.

There is also the possibility that another country may have been responsible as they all did something to cause the war, for example Serbia, failed to stop terrorists operating in Serbia from killing Franz Ferdinand, Britain for continuing the arms race with Germany and Russia for mobilizing to make themselves a threat to Germany and Austria-Hungary.