World War I or "the Great War" as it became known, occurred due to many causes, some of which are still unknown. The obvious trigger was the assassination of the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on the twenty-eighth of June 1914. But a great portion of the cause dealt with past disputes between the Great Powers and such aggressive principles as Nationalism: the strong feeling of pride and devotion to one's country, Imperialism: the domination of one country of the political, economic, and cultural life of another, and Militarism: the glorification of a strong army. In addition, the economic competition, the arms race and the prominent alliance system of Europe pushed the continent into the brink of war. In this paper, I will discuss how Nationalism, Imperialism, and Militarism sparked a global rivalry between the major powers. Additionally, I will explain how the assassination of archduke Ferdinand and the action of an individual ignited the confrontation, which pushed the European powers to war in the early 1900's.
             Nationalism is a very powerful force that can bind people and unite a land for the common good. But at the same time, nationalism can fuel bitter conflicts between proud nations. Aggressive nationalism became one of the leading forces that ignited World War One. This is evident in the three major nationalist movements that fueled the appetite for war: Alsace and Lorraine, Pan-Slavism, and the Balkan states. As nationalism grew strong in France and Germany, bitter resentment cultivated as well. Germany was proud of its growing army and industrial direction, and France longed for its position as the major power in Europe. But the French were still bitter about their defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, and deeply resented the German occupation of Alsace and Lorraine states. Patriotic French citizens came to search for revenge against Germany and longed to reclai...