1. By the time the first ship sailed through the Panama Canal, the world's attention was no longer on Panama, but on far-off Europe. In August 1914, German troops poured across Belgium, on their way to attempt to conquer France. Europe was at war.

Question

2. European countries had long competed with each other for colonies, trade, and territory, but by the early 1900s, nationalism was complicating these rivalries. Austria-Hungary had built an empire by taking over smaller countries in the part of eastern Europe known as the Balkans. Nationalism inspired in the Balkan people a burning desire to be independent of Austrian rule.
3. As tensions grew, European leaders looked for safety in militarism, a policy of glorifying military power and military ideas and values. When Germany built up its navy to challenge the United Kingdom's fleet, the United Kingdom (Britain) constructed more battleships. As Germany's army grew, France built up its own army.
4. European countries also looked for safety in alliances. In secret treaties, Germany and Austria-Hungary agreed to help each other in case of attack. The United Kingdom, Russia, and France made similar agreements. Europe was dividing into what amounted to armed camps.
5. An outburst of nationalism lit the fuse of war. On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was visiting the city of Sarajevo in the province of Bosnia. Many Bosnians were Serbs who wanted to be part of nearby Serbia instead of Austria-Hungary. A Serbian nationalist jumped out of a crowd and fatally shot the archduke and his wife.

6. Outraged, Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of having a hand in the assassinations and pressured Serbia to give up most of its independence. When the Serbs refused, Austria-Hungary declared war. The Russians stepped in to defend the Serbs, and the Germans then came to the aid of Austria-Hungary by declaring war on Russia. Russia's ally, France, began to prepare for war.
7. Eventually, more than a dozen countries took sides in the “Great War.” Decades later, people called the conflict World War I. Austria-Hungary and Germany headed the Central Powers. France, Russia, and the United Kingdom led the Allied Powers.
8. Like most Americans, President Woodrow Wilson wanted to stay out of the war. Declaring that the United States would remain neutral, Wilson begged citizens to be “impartial in thought as well as deed.”

How did the British, Germans, and France compete? Explain.

Answer 1

The competition among the British, Germans, and French leading up to World War I primarily revolved around militarism, colonial expansion, and alliances, contributing to the heightened tensions in Europe.

1. Militarism: Each of these nations engaged in a significant military buildup to assert their power and deter aggression from rivals. Germany sought to expand its navy to challenge Britain’s longstanding naval supremacy. In response, Britain launched a naval arms race, constructing more battleships to protect its interests. France, feeling threatened by Germany’s growing military strength, similarly expanded its army. This glorification of military power created an atmosphere of suspicion and preparedness for conflict.

2. Colonial Rivalry: The quest for colonies was another layer of competition among these powers. Britain and France had vast colonial empires, and Germany, a newer entrant to the colonial competition, sought to expand its own territories. This competition for colonies often led to conflicts and tensions, as nations vied for control over resource-rich regions in Africa and Asia.

3. Alliances: In the face of these tensions, countries formed alliances for mutual protection. Germany and Austria-Hungary formed a partnership, promising to support each other in case of attack. In contrast, France aligned itself with Russia and the United Kingdom, creating the Triple Entente. These treaties exacerbated the situation, as the interconnected alliances meant that a conflict involving one country could quickly escalate into a larger war, drawing multiple nations into the fray.

Overall, the British, Germans, and French competed not only militarily but also in colonial aspirations and diplomatic relationships, leading to a fragile balance of power that eventually broke down with the outbreak of World War I.