Question

The final act of the long-drawn-out negotiations took place at Versailles on Saturday afternoon and to-day Germany and the Allies - always with the exception of America - are at peace. Peace is a blessed word and both the word and the fact are welcome to-day. So far as Germany is concerned, there is for the present, an end of strife and at least a formal return to the decent relations of civilised states. Editorial: Peace in force (12 January 1920) The Guardian

Mention any three causes of the World War which ended with the signing of the treaty being discussed in the passage above.

Answer 1

1. Militant Nationalism: Intense rivalry and enmity between European nations, particularly Germany, France and the Balkan republics, fueled the rise of militant nationalism, also known as competitive patriotism. Germany, under Kaiser Wilhelm II, began to exert its global might. On the other hand, France sought an opportunity to exact revenge on Germany, which had acquired its mineral-rich provinces of Alsace and Lorraine during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Balkan states such as Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro desired independence from Turkey and Austria-Hungary.
2. Armament Race: Intense nationalism and competition to acquire and protect colonies led to a race for weaponry. Germany began the race for weapons by building its navy. Germany began to deepen the Kiel Canal to secure its colonies in Africa and other areas so that battleships could shelter in its waters. Britain and France began upgrading their armaments in response to Germany's growing military might, which eventually led to an arms race.
3. Division of Europe into two armed camps: On the eve of World War I, Europe was split into two large armed camps: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. Triple Alliance is comprised of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Turkey. Britain, France and Russia founded the Triple Entente to oppose the Triple Alliance. Japan later joined it.