7.9 Causation in Global Conflict

Long-Term Causes of Global Conflict

Deep-rooted causes set the stage for WWI and WWII: militarism, nationalism, imperialism, and competing alliance systems (like the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance). Economic rivalries over colonies and resources, ethnic tensions from multinational empires, and unresolved grievances from the Treaty of Versailles all built pressure that made large-scale conflict more likely over time.

Short-Term Triggers and Immediate Causes

Specific events sparked wars already made possible by long-term tensions. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914) triggered WWI through alliance obligations. Hitler's invasion of Poland (1939) and Japan's expansion in Asia triggered WWII. These immediate causes acted as the 'spark' igniting existing powder kegs of rivalry and instability.

Continuity and Connection Between Conflicts

Historians link WWI and WWII causally: harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles, economic devastation from the Great Depression, and the rise of fascist/totalitarian regimes (Germany, Italy, Japan) grew directly from WWI's unresolved outcomes. This demonstrates multi-causality — conflicts rarely have a single cause but result from intersecting political, economic, and ideological factors across time.

Key terms

Long-term causes of WWI

Militarism, nationalism, imperialism, and alliance systems (MAIN) that built tension over decades.

Immediate/short-term cause

A specific triggering event, like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, that sparks a conflict already made likely by underlying tensions.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 peace treaty ending WWI; its harsh terms and reparations fueled German resentment, helping cause WWII.

Multi-causality

The idea that historical events result from multiple interacting causes rather than a single factor.

Great Depression's role in WWII

Global economic collapse in the 1930s destabilized governments and fueled the rise of fascist and militarist regimes.

Try an AP-style question

A long-term cause of WWII was…

1. resentment over the Treaty of Versailles
2. the fall of the Berlin Wall
3. rivalries of the early Cold War
4. the outbreak of the Korean War