Example of essay on german civilization

The Wilhelmine period in Germany lasted from 1890 to 1918. This period can be divided into two specific categories which were ruled by two rulers: Otto Bismarck and William II. this period shaped Germany politically, economically and socially.
The nation continued to enjoy a booming economy under the reign of Bismarck. The confidence and the sense of patriotism of the Germans was at an all-time high during this period; a high they particularly relished because they had previously been frustrated in their attempt for a period of over half a century. The pride and confidence that the Germans had during this period inspired national fervor hence notions of superiority over other nations developed in the minds of the Germans. The start of the war in 1914 was to a large extent an expression of this confidence and pride in being German hence the desire to prove the point.
William was the emperor of Germany as from 1888. In his attempt to fortify his position as a leader, he forced Bismarck to become a chancellor who he could easily control. It was easy to do so partly because Bismarck believed in the strict adherence to the autocracy which made him unpopular among some of the citizens and the military. He later on embarked on an aggressive plan to ensure that Germany became a world power which led the rest of Europe towards civilization. This entailed implementing a series of complex international treaties that Bismarck had carefully planned as from 1871. The nature and quick succession of the treaties caught the attention of three of Germany’s neighbours who were also keen of becoming world powers in their own right.
The nations that were alarmed by the increasing economic and military might of the Germans were: Russia, England and France. These three nations embarked on an ambitious mission to counter Germany by forging their own alliances with other nations; a factor that would contribute to heightened tension throughout Europe. These tensions would provide a background against which nations would align themselves during World War I. In 1907, the strong Triple Entente which was a treaty among three major powers in Europe was signed. According to most observers at the time, it was only a matter of time before the differences among the major allies escalated into a war. In particular, the allied differences between Turkey, Germany and Austria- Hungary were viewed as a possible reason for war in the future.
True to those predictions, the World War I began in 1914. There had been distrust among the major powers that had been brewing for a while. The growing distrust had been the motivation behind strong nationalist movements in addition to a tight race among the nations towards the acquisition of better, stronger arms. Germany therefore triggered a wave of tension throughout Europe that would provide inspiration for other nations to develop their economic and military might that would later come in handy during World War I.
World War I was not only triggered by Germany but by other nations in Europe. It was the culmination of a number of factors and conditions that had been in place for a long time. To begin with, there were many powers that were in the race to becoming the most powerful nation in Europe prior to the war. Each of these nations sought to not only increase their economic might but also improve their military might hence the rise and rise of Germany was simply another reason to keep up their efforts. Given that Germany under Bismarck had been aggressive in getting allies in Europe, the rest of the nation’s simply followed suit and therefore contributed to the heightened tension in Europe that would later culminate into World War I.
In addition to this, the disintegration of the Austrian monarchy and the Balkans’ inclination towards revolution also contributed to the World War. In fact, the real cause of World War I according to historians was the assassination of Archduke Franz and his wife by the Bosnians. This led the Austrians to declare war on Serbia while the Russians turned on Austria Hungary. The Germans fought alongside the Austria, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria forming the “ Central Powers” while Russia, France, Italy, USA and Great Britain ganged up to form the “ Allied Powers.” This therefore clearly illustrates the Germany was simply joining up in a war that had already started.
In conclusion, Germany played a part in World War I but they were not entirely responsible for starting the war. There were other nations and factors that played a part in the war.

References

Henig, Ruth. The origins of the First World War. . London : Routledge, 2002 . Document.
Katharine, Lerman. Bismarck . London : Longman , 2005. document.
Mombauer, Annika. ” ” The First World War: Inevitable, Avoidable, Improbable Or Desirable? Recent Interpretations On War Guilt and the War’s Origins,.” German History (2007 ): 78-95. Document .