Why did Britain Enter the War in 1914
Britain went to war because of a number of factors. ... Britain went to war to maintain her position as a world power, to keep trade links open, to maintain honour and the role of an individual, Sir Edward Grey. This combination of factors caused Britain to enter the war but it is difficult to know to what extent each of these factors persuaded Britain that war was the best option. One of the main reasons Britain went to war in 1914 was to maintain her position as a world power. This was threatened when the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated because it gave Austria-Hungary a reason for declaring war on Serbia. ... Britain wanted to remain neutral in the event of war, but she was keen to assert herself as a world power. Evidence for this was the naval race she had with Germany in the years building up to the war. Britain insisted on having a navy as big as the next two biggest powers combined. ... This was so Britain could remain the dominating power. This caused a lot of tension between the two countries and it was foreseen by Britain that if German won the war it could gain considerable power and try to take over the British empire whether she participated or not. However if she did not come into war to support France and Russia and they defeated Germany they may seek revenge on Britain and they themselves may try to take over the empire.