Who started World War One?

[John Wayne]

I put the blame on Serbia. They suported the Black Hand organization, whoose people assasinated Franz Ferdinand. They did not want a global conflict, but they started the dominoe effect that led to it.

[Denny Crane!]

I put the blame on Serbia. They suported the Black Hand organization, whoose people assasinated Franz Ferdinand. They did not want a global conflict, but they started the dominoe effect that led to it.

They were the instigation not the root cause.

If a camel has a bale of straw on its back do you blame the final straw for breaking said back?

Peter

[John Wayne]

They were the instigation not the root cause.

If a camel has a bale of straw on its back do you blame the final straw for breaking said back?

Peter

Yes. The camel's back may have been near breaking point by all the other straw, but it was the last one that finnaly did it in.

[Denny Crane!]

Yes. The camel's back may have been near breaking point by all the other straw, but it was the last one that finnaly did it in.

Ok that is kind of a given.

Everyone knows that was the starting point, the question is do you blame the straw or the bale? What is the bale?

If you don't consider these questions this is going to be a really short thread.

Peter

[Cpn.Rob]

Austria-Hungary was just itching for a reason to start the war...

[Sétanta]

No one country started it. They all prepared for it so anything might have happened. That event that fired off war was the pull of a trigger by one man, not a nation.

[Shaun]

No one country started it. They all prepared for it so anything might have happened. That event that fired off war was the pull of a trigger by one man, not a nation.

i agree,but Germany pushed Austria into attacking Serbia. it was Germany that was behind the ultimatum.

[therussian]

Who started is definately Serbia. But the poll question is who CAUSED it, and that is definately Germany. They fanned the flames of the Austrian-Serbian conflict, eventually making it into a huge, full scale war.

[Sétanta]

i agree,but Germany pushed Austria into attacking Serbia. it was Germany that was behind the ultimatum.

They still didn't start it. They pushed it along, but they themselves did not cause the war to start. All they needed was an excuse

[Evariste]

Hidden alliances started the first World War. It would definitely not have turned into a World War had all the European powers not had these obligations to each other.

Also, it could be said that United States started World War Two. By intervening in a war that was largely a stalemate, and helping to instigate huge reparations and shame to the supposed "belligerent" Germany, they lit the fuse for further conflict.

[Sétanta]

Also, it could be said that United States started World War Two. By intervening in a war that was largely a stalemate, and helping to instigate huge reparations and shame to the supposed "belligerent" Germany, they lit the fuse for further conflict.

WWII started in 1939. The United States entered in 1941. There is no way possible that the US started WWII.

[therussian]

WWII started in 1939. The United States entered in 1941. There is no way possible that the US started WWII.

He means in reference to it's entrance in WWI

[removeduser_487563287433]

It is too complex to put the blame on a single state.

[Cpn.Rob]

WWII started in 1939. The United States entered in 1941. There is no way possible that the US started WWII.

think he might be referring to post-WWI

[Sétanta]

Well in that case, the Versailles Treaty did indeed put unfair pressure on Germany and did lead to the rise of Fascism. That is the fault of all Allied Nations.

[Shaun]

Who started is definately Serbia.

Technically Austria started it, as they declared war on Serbia.
And Germany did more than push it along, they declared war on Russia and France.

[Ahlerich]

i think we had this thread before.
it was a very complicated situation at that time because of the alliance web. there are many to blame for the war and there are many who could have made decisions to keep peace.
austria-hungary was getting weak and were threatened by serbia to lose more power/influence and serbia was backed up by russia. those two are most responsible...they both are the first row of the guilty.
russia backed up serbia and germany backed up austria-hungary.
germanies last remaining ally was austria-hungary therefore germany had to back up austria-hungary. on the other hand if germany would have said "no we dont support you austria" then austria had never started a war against serbia sence they knew they are too weak to take serbia and russia.

the war started in summer which was also one reason for the war. kaiser wilhelm II was on a yacht in holidays, authorities from other involved nations where also unavailable. you could also blame wilhelm II for firing v. Bismarck and causing the loss of german alliances which made it almost mandatory to back up austria.

it is really hard to find the guilty and not just a scapegoat.

thats why i voted "others". it was a failiure of diplomacy on all fronts.

it is right that germany declared war to france and russia but that does not really matter because if they would not have done so russia and franc would have declared war on germany..and britain who were obliged to defend france had to do the same.

it was a failure of diplomacy. russia, britain and france made a pact to defend each other together if germany invades (they felt intimidated). and germany mobilized because they feared the pact of russia, france and britain.

serbia just had to give out the assasin that killed franz ferdinand and the war never had to start. i think serbia could have avoided the war easiest, without losing much.
if you blame germany for backing up austria you might as well blame russia on backing up serbia. both germany and russia made the world war inevitable

[Spiff]

Surely Austria-Hungary were in the best position to forsee their ultimatum to Russian supoprted Serbia would cause a European conflict based on the Triple Entente versus Tripple Alliance..

I mean.. theyre basicaly weighing up "lose face on one hand... or start a European war on the other.."

[John Wayne]

Everyone knows that was the starting point, the question is do you blame the straw or the bale? What is the bale?

If you don't consider these questions this is going to be a really short thread.

Peter

I consider the bale to be European deplomacy of the previous thirty years. Secret treaties, arms race, imperialism, nationalism, and (most importantly) Kaiser Wilhelm's stupidity.

Surely Austria-Hungary were in the best position to forsee their ultimatum to Russian supoprted Serbia would cause a European conflict based on the Triple Entente versus Tripple Alliance..

The A-H did not believe that Russia would follow through with its support for the Serbs, they hadn't in the Balkan Wars so why start now?

"lose face on one hand... or start a European war on the other.."

Which Russia did during the Balkan Wars of the previous decade.

For info on the Balkan Wars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkan_wars

[Last Roman]

I put the blame on Serbia. They suported the Black Hand organization, whoose people assasinated Franz Ferdinand. They did not want a global conflict, but they started the dominoe effect that led to it.

there is no actual proof of that.

I place most of the blame on the alliance system of Europe, which made Europe a bomb. All it needed was a match to light the fuse. They found it in the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand