Kaden M.

asked • 01/06/18

what system was causing distrust amoung nations in europe just before world war 1

I would like to use this site to help me with all of my work in school cause I really like school and it is very important to me so good grades are my goal because I also play sports and need good grades to play 

Nathan B.

Arguably a mixture of colonialism, imperialism, and the Concert of Europe. For the last few centuries, Many of the European powers had been off exploring and otherwise conquering other national powers. However, those brought under heel with to have their autonomy and rights of self-rule back. The Concert of Europe was essentially a treaty between the European nations that if somebody was getting uppity and war may seem to be at hand, the countries would come together to vote on proposals to de-escalate the situation.
 
This means that people who are under another nation's rulership could sue for freedom, and with the backing of most of the other nations, get it. The Ottoman Empire was constantly nibbled at, and the Astro-Hungarian Empire was similarly eyed and divided up.
 
Meanwhile Germany was born from a bunch of warring areas to one country. To give you an idea of how BIG of an idea this was, imagine if Sudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Syria all came together to become one single nation working together under a single ideal. That's Germany during the late 1800s to early 1900s. And they want to be taken seriously by the other European powers and given the chance to colonize like the rest of their neighbors, only to be denied.
 
So we have essentially have a new nation not allowed to grow, and two great empires being torn apart by being outvoted through The Concert of Europe.
 
If you're curious about the lead-up to The Great War, I highly suggest you watching the Extra History series The Seminal Tragedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-wSL4WqUws
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01/06/18

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Rabbi G. answered • 10/12/25

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The system that was causing distrust among nations in Europe just before World War I was the alliance system.

Here’s a quick summary:

  1. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European powers formed competing military alliances to protect themselves and strengthen their positions.
  2. The two main alliances were:
  3. Triple Alliance — Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
  4. Triple Entente — France, Russia, and Great Britain

These alliances created suspicion and fear because:

  1. Each side believed the other was preparing for war.
  2. Any small conflict could quickly draw in multiple countries.
  3. Nations began to build up their militaries and make secret plans.

So, the alliance system — combined with militarism, nationalism, and imperial rivalries — was a major reason for the growing distrust that set the stage for World War I.

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