Download or read book The Causes of World War I written by Stewart Ross and published by Raintree. This book was released on 2003 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The disputes that led to the outbreak of World War I were festering long before the first shots were fired on the battlefields of Europe. Imperial, commercial, and military rivalries between the major European empires had escalated dramatically as each struggled to assert its strength. Meanwhile, the people of Europe embraced nationalist ideas and became increasingly disinterested in compromise or reconciliation. The latter half of the 19th century had seen the development of the strong alliances and deep hostilities that eventually escalated into war in 1914. But why did the politicians and monarchs of Europe believe that war was inevitable? How was the public persuaded that war was necessary? And what events preceded the declaration of war?