Western Civilization, Research Paper Example

The conflagration of the First World War, ignited by the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, quickly enveloped the entire continent- destroying the placid belief in prosperity and peace that pervaded the time. Although the assassins behind the killing inevitably held animus towards Ferdinand, they were reticent over how a political crisis, in the existing difficult political environment, would accomplish their goals of secession from the Austrian empire.  In order to understand how this act of political secession led to the “Great War”, a more detailed understanding of the tenuous state of European politics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is needed.

After Wilhelm II assumed the throne a Kaiser and King of Prussia in 1888, previously dormantdiplomatic tensions throughout the region rose steadily.  Indeed, Wilhelm held a profoundly different vision for Germany than his predecessor, Otto van Bismark, who spent most of his efforts on domestic reforms in the country (BBC, 2008).  The recalibration of German ambition to become a colonial power, and thus a leading power in Europe, butted against existing powers such as the United Kingdom and France.  In response, both countries began to increase their profile in the colonial race, including building up their armed forces for potential battles on both land and sea.

At the same time countries were vying to become the leader of an increasingly fractured Europe, numerous countries that previously held substantial powers were facing obsolescence.  The Ottoman Empire, the purported “sick old man of Europe”, quickly had fallen from a contender as a major power of Europe to become a lacerated and fractured power consumed by internal divisions and an imploding domestic economy.  The Ottoman Empire, which had been one of the key linchpins of stability in a troublesome region, portended a downward trajectory for the region. (PBS, 2004).  Austria Hungary, another traditional power was also becoming unhinged by the reemergence of strident nationalism in the Balkans- a continual problem over past centuries.  Russia, an emerging power, also entered the fray as a country with the putative claim of being the traditional caretakers of the Serbs: the posturing of three powers in this small region augured that any significant change in the existing balance of power would have profound implications for the entire continent.

It was into this simmering geopolitical context that the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand entered the scene. Young Bosnia, a terrorist group with ties to the intelligence community in Serbia, was the main group behind the attack (BBC, 2008).  The main impetus for the attack (at least stated) was independence: That is, a group of Bosnians wanted to declare independence from the Austria Hungarian Empire in order to join Serbia. Although Archduke Ferdinand was highly sympathetic to the pleas of minorities for greater self-determination within the context of the Austrian empire, he was not open to any measures that would lead to the secession from the empire.  As nationalist sentiments continued to simmer, the group planned to assassinate Ferdinand in order to open new possibilities for self-determination.  During a state visit on June 28, 1914, the Bosnian group assassinated Ferdinand and his wife (PBS, 2004).  After an investigation of the case, Austria declared war on Serbia; in return, Russia entered the war on behalf of Serbia.  Even though  the incident did not directly involve France and Germany, the shifting of geopolitical tectonic plates did: As a result, Germany declared war on France after not knowing their true intentions.  Thus, with this single political event, the tensions that had built up over the last half century spilled over and World War 1 was fought.

References

BBC (2008).  History of World War One.  Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/.

PBS (2004).  The Great War.  Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/ .