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====Background====By the summer of 1914, Europe had long been divided into two mutually hostile and suspicious power blocs. On one side was the German -dominated bloc- known as the Central Powers. This comprised Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy , and the Ottoman Empire. On the other hand, there was a bloc that comprised the United Kingdom, France , and the Russian Empire. The Unification of Germany and its victory in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, led to a new balance of power on the continent.<ref> Kramer, Alan. (2014). "Recent Historiography of the First World War-Part I." <i>Journal of Modern European History 121</I> pp: 5-27</ref> Outside of Russia, Germany was the most powerful country. This and Imperial German diplomatic blunders resulted in the United Kingdom allying themselves with France, in order to counter any aggression from Berlin. They were Russia later joined by Russiathem. In response, the Germans entered into an alliance allied with Austro-Hungry. Bismarck the German Chancellor in the 1870s and other European leaders sought to achieve a balance of power between the powers in Europe. It was hoped in this way to secure international peace. Some believe that such an international system was doomed to failure and this led directly to the outbreak of war.<ref>Hewitson, Mark. (2014). <i>Germany and the causes of the First World War</i>. Bloomsbury Publishing: London, p. 17.</ref>

====Colonial Tensions====

While Germany was in many ways the most powerful country in Continental Europe , it lacked a large colonial Empire. The French and British Empires extended over large areas of the globe. Europe strategists at the time believed that only countries with a large colonial empires could survive and prosper and the . The German political elite were was eager to secure more colonies.<ref>Lewiston, <i>German</i>', p. 54.</ref> German had some a few colonies in Africa and the Pacific Islands. This was These colonies did not enough for satisfy German ambitions , and they demanded aggressively sought more territories. Kaiser Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, demanded argued that his country deserved to have its ‘place in the sun’. These demands led to increasing increased international tensions.

A prime example of these imperial ambitions played out during the First Moroccan Crisis in 1905. France was the predominant power in Morocco and was slowly absorbing the North African country. In March 1905, the German Kaiser visited Morocco and gave his support to the Sultan. This emboldened visit encouraged the Moroccans to defy the French. The Kaiser’s intervention was widely seen as an effort to frustrate the French and to extend Germans influence in North Africa.<ref>Lewiston, ''Germany'', p. 67</ref> The French saw this as German interference with French internal affairs and threatened war. The colonial issue was very important significant in the lead up to the First World War. Many Marxists believed after the war broke out stated that it was the rivalry for colonies that led directly led to the outbreak of hostilities in 1914.

====Nationalism====

====Immediate Causes of World War I====

Germany was eager to provoke a war it backed Austro- Hungry and encouraged them to take military action against Serbia, despite its alliance with Russia. German wanted to have an international confrontation with Russia. The Russian Empire was rapidly industrializing , and many in Berlin feared Russia. They believed that they needed to defeat Russia in a war before it became too strong. The Germans used the crisis over the assassination to push forward their own objectives and to engineer a conflict with Russia. They also used the assassination to justify a war in the west with France. Imperial Germany were was very aware of the hostility of France. The German military command had long planned for an offensive against France. They had devised the 'The Schlieffen Plan', which was a surprise attack on France, even though it involved the violation of the neutrality of Belgium.<ref> Stevenson, David (2004). ''Cataclysm: The First World War As Political Tragedy'', p. 111.</ref>

German was very aware that it was surrounded by enemies and it decided that war could help to improve its military and strategic position in Europe. During the crisis of August 1914, the Germans launched an attack on France as envisioned in the Schlieffen Plan. They used the crisis in August 1914 as a justification for a pre-emptive war in order to ensure that it was not militarily defeated in the near future shortly by Russia in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west.<ref>Stevenson, ''Cataclysm'', p. 117.</ref>

====Conclusion====The First World War was a tragedy for Europe and the Globe. It was a result of many things. These included a balance of power politics, colonial rivalry , and nationalism. The primary cause of the conflict was the German decision to take advantage of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in order to further its own strategic and military interests. Germany was in a weak strategic position with regard to about its main rivals especially Russia. It sought to secure its position in Europe not by political or diplomatic means but by military means. In August 1914, Germany initiated the war in order to assert its position in Europe and make sure that it remained the continental Europe’s major power. Ultimately, it was to prove a disastrous decision as it resulted in the catastrophic defeat of Germany.

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