International Relations since 1914 Literature review

International Relations since 1914 - Literature review manikinThe following sections of the paper will be dedicated to analyzing the views of four authors, Fergusson, Williamson, Howard and Schroeder, as regards the causes of the war. Fergusson, in The Pity of struggle, talks about how the arms draw mingled with different countries in Europe contributed to tensions that eventually guide to the war. At the beginning of the century, Britain had a well established naval force which was deemed to be the strongest in the world. Germany was quickly transmitted up and Frances military was known to be one of the strongest at the time. Both Britain and France were weary of Germanys rapid military and arms expansion. Britain saw Germany as a threat to its monopoly in naval power. However, concord to Fergusson, the Germans never did catch up with Britain. Thus correspond to Fergusson, the main cause of the First terra firma War was the turn tail to control the seas. The tensions cont inued to escalate until the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo finally lit the fire that led to the beginning of the World War 1. In his article The Origins of World War I , Williamson looks at the commodious term and short causes of the war. ... Williams also talks of alliances which created heightened suspicions particularly between Britain and France on one hand and Germany on the new(prenominal). He also talks of nationalism and imperialism as some of the long term causes of the tensions that led to the war. These tensions according to the author were consolidated by events in Morocco, the Balkans and Bosnia. The Sarajevo assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie was the final event that finally gave bearing to war. In The Coming of War, Michael Howard talks about the Balkan crisis, the military situation in European nations and the arms race as the main causes of the war. He talks about Germanys growing confidence and ambition to draw Britain as the greatest power in Europe at the time. On the other hand, Schroeder starts his article World War I as Galloping Gertie A Reply to Joachim Remak by highlighting what other author theorize to have been the causes of the war, he then goes ahead to argue why he thinks that these reasons are not straightforward and gives his own railway line of what he thinks led to the war. He considers the events that were happening at the time the arms race, crisis in the Balkans and Germanys ambitions and states that the war was a normal development in international relations (322). Fergussons argument is that Germanys military ambition and Britains plans to retain her monopoly on the seas cased much tension between these two competing countries. Alliances were formed to strengthen the countries chances of winning at war. Fergussons argument about arms race being the cause of the First World War is clearly articulated throughout the article. On the other hand, Williamson explores bot h the long term and short term causes of the war and gives solid