Causes of World War I For the war itself see World War I The
causes of World War I vary from the immediate (the assassination
of the heir to the Austrian throne by Serbian nationalists, to
the complex (such as ethnic nationalism across Europe, the arms
race, and the competing alliance systems) to the remote (the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871). Political scientists
generally say the war was not inevitable--that it was caused
more by accident, misunderstanding and too-hurried decision-
making. Historians say the deep forces would inevitably have
caused a war. Four "MAIN" causes Four of the causes of World War
I are often referred to by the acronym "MAIN", which stands for
Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. What caused
the Great War? Historians still debate the questions involved.
How did the conflict start? Was it a case of small mistakes
escalating into a conflict that no one really wanted, or was the
war an unavoidable consequence of deep conflicts? Why did it
become stalemated? Why could