World War One
06/05/03 Part 2 World War One Historians have argued since the end of the First World War which country, or countries were most responsible for the war occurring. ... (who blamed on Austria-Hungry) and Fritz Fischer (who placed the blame on Germany) have argued that the war was caused by one country. ... The events leading to World War One were complex, and offer no easy answers. The blame can not be place on one country but on all the European countries involved. ... While no one country can be considered completely responsible for the war, certain countries were more culpable than others. The Serbian government allowed terrorist actions to take place in their country ; the Russians supported the Serbians even though they undertook in terrorist actions, and Austria-Hungry pressed for war although the Serbian government agreed on all but two of their demands. While all countries involved in World War One must take responsibility for the war, Austria-Hungry, Russia, and Serbia were the most responsible for the occurrence of the First World War. Prior to the war, tension built throughout Europe as countries competed to either sustain their position as world powers, or in some cases, become world powers. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the competition over colonies around the world, countries such as Austria-Hungry, Serbia and Russia often found themselves at odds with each other. In 1912, war broke out in the Balkans over land. The Serbians, who had taken part in the Balkan wars, in their attempt to become a world power wanted control of Albania, which would give them access to the Adriatic Sea. ... The situation almost ended in war, but Germany and the British calmed the tensions, and the Serbians ended up not receiving the land. ... The French, who both feared and disliked the Germans since losing the war of 1870 and Alsace-Lorraine, were able to feel more confident now that they had the support of the Russians.