In What Ways Was The Alliance System Responsible For The First World War?

World War 1 which was also known to many as the Great War seems to in many ways challenge its explanation of why it happened. What caused the war? Who was responsible? Many authors of books and articles that are written about the expositions of the First World War will be found to most frequently question the Ð''causations' and Ð''influences' in their writings.

One of the many speculated causations which have been argued was that of the set up for Ð''alliance-systems'. It could be argued that the out break of war was triggered by a number of political alliances. Both the triple alliance and the triple entente were both negotiated, like all treaties, by the government. A definition of the alliance system refers to the treaties that were set up across Europe and determined in august of1914. Prior to this in 1907 Europe was divided between two power compacts, these were: The Triple Alliance, which was made up of Germany, Austria-Hungry, and Italy, and the second alliance known as the Entente Cordiale which consisted of France, Great Britain and Russia.

The covert accession of the triple alliance was remained to be in force until around 1915. Some could argue that the truthful terms of the alliance remained secret until after the First World War. However originally it was thought to be a defensive coalition lead by Otto von Bismarck.

Bismarck's theory on the purpose of the triple alliance was a war of revenge for the French who were previously defeated (1871). To Austria the triple alliance held the advantage of working as a protection against the powerful Russia, and also as a means of getting the German support for her aims of the war that broke out in the Balkans. And for the Italians it presented them with the German guarantee of support against any threatening French attack.

The purpose of the triple alliance set up was so that if any of the 3 members of the alliance were under attack or any means of unprovoked aggression, the other members in their alliance would come to their defence e.g. if France decided to carry out attack on Italy it would mean that Germany and Austria-hungry would come to her defence, or if France attacked Germany, then Italy would come to her defence.

The entente cordiale alliance consisting of France, Great Britain & Russia also consisted of similar purposes.

The conditions of the alliance set up was for the purpose of military footing, the rules were that countries would help each other in the event of war. Although, by this time the alliances were defensive in a way which meant that no other countries were bound by if the assailant was found to be a member of the alliance and under no circumstances was his prohibited. The meaning of this meant that the decision was on Russia, France, or Great Britain to declare war.

This idea of alliance system set up already provides with the idea that this idea or set up could spiral into a causation for war due to the fact if one of the countries go under attack, immediately 1, or 2 (however many countries are accompanied in the alliance) of the other countries would get involved as a act of coming into their allied countries prompt defence.

An analysis of these basic procedures being taken by major powers such as these alliances were evidently shown in the period in-between July and August of 1914. The defectiveness of the alliance system clearly showed up during this time.

The time when Austria-Hungary's main allied leaders decided to take a form of attack on Serbia for the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was Austria's imperial prince. Many will speculate that his assassination in Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia gave reason for Austria-Hungary

...