What was the relationship between Imperialism and World War I? A relationship betweenImperialism and World War I (1914–1918) is extremely profound. The outbreak of the Great War in the early 20th century was a result of the rivalry existing between European countries during the 19th century.
For many historians, the First World War (1914-1918) is the event that marks the beginning of the 20th century.
Even though there is consensus between such a conception, these same historians know that the main causes of World War I date back to the 19th century and, therefore, have a deep relationship with the imperialism.
Imperialism was a process of political, economic and social domination promoted by the great powers capitalists from that time.
Reaching different territories of the continents African It is Asian, imperialist domination had its beginning strongly linked to the French and English.
As great powers, these two nations sought new consumer markets and raw materials to at a low cost, which enabled the development of their economies and the expansion of their industries.
However, already at the end of the 19th century, other nations such as Russia, Germany and Italy they also modernized their economies and started to have the same interest in controlling and exploiting these continents.
In light of this scenario, the political relationship between these countries became much more intense, causing an intense arms race allied to military cooperation and non-aggression agreements.
When we finally arrive at the beginning of the 20th century, the great capitalist powers of that period found themselves visibly divided and ready to dispute colonial domains, which guaranteed their strong power in the economy global.
Therefore, when the initial conflicts of the First World War broke out, not only the sovereignty of countries was at stake involved, but also a deep interest in preserving and increasing control of exploited territories in Africa and Asia.
Learn more at:
- imperialism in africa
- imperialism in asia
- Imperialism and Neocolonialism – Summary, difference, concepts and historical facts