Causes of WWI
...uld retaliate to this. If so, Austria- Hungary had Germany in alliance for protection. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28th 1914. Russia then mobilized its army and guarded Serbia because of their alliance. Germany saw the Russian mobilization and thought it to be an act of war on their ally, Austria Hungary, and declared war on August 1st 1914 on Russia. From here France, Britain, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, The Union of South Africa, Italy, Japan and the United states all became involved in the war due to alliances with other countries. Though the assassination was the spark that ignited the world war, there are other causes that lead outbreak of war. German-British Tensions One reason is that there was often confusion and conflict between the German ambassador Prince Lichnowsky and the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey. Their actions towards one another gave a sense of war to the citizens of Germany and Britain. German-French Tensions France was just recovering from its loss in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The loss of the Alsace-Lorraine to the Germans territory deeply angered the French. Imperialism Great Britain, Germany and France were highly dependant on other countries and their resources due to the Industrial Revolution and the increase of manufacturing that it caused. The three countries sought for answers in Africa which only led to rivalries between each other, although France and Britain were able to consolidate. The Arms Race Germany was the leader in military production at the time. Europe knew this and many countries became competitive and decided to increa...