WWI and Capitalism

[enigma2517]

I heard that capitalism was a major cause of WWI. Is this true? What specifically happened?

[RagsToRevolution]

Czarism = October Revolution + Bolsheviks and Soviet Russia + Stalin

WWI + German Economic Collapse = Nationalism

Stalinist Imperialism + German Nationalism = German / Russian Pressure

Conflict = Fear + Hate

Hitler + Mistrust of Russia = Rise to Power

Hitler = Genocide + Fascism

No, I don't think it was specifically towards capitalism, except here:

Japan + No Reources = Invasion of China

Japan = Imperialist, capitalist state

Japanese Invasion = Reactionary

Reasoning = Capitalistic Desires

[Conghaileach]

I think RagsToRevolution may have been referring to World War Two.

The first world war occurred because an expanding German empire needed new markets for its good, and this led to a conflict with the British and French empires.

[RagsToRevolution]

Ah, crap, misread the title *slams head on desk to get rid of stupidity*

[The Grapes of Wrath]

There were numerous reasons. First, the British, French, Dutch, and Spanish (later on, not the Spanish) had created vast world empires. Raw materials were needed to run the industries in the home countries, and so, these colonies became sort of like large lumber mills, or iron deposits, or what have you.

This quest for materials led to conflict between the great nations. And soon, war was rampant. There was a great quest to militarize everything, as much as was fiscally and physically possible. Into this quagmire of stupidity and competition comes a new nation, the Empire of Germany, founded in 1871. Germany, the biggest industrial power on mainland Europe, needed these raw materials to expand. However, most of the good land had been divvied up by the other powers. So, Germany makes a few half-assed attempts to expand. East Africa and China were the only ones that really stuck.

Competition is rampant, the capitalist theory of expand or die rules (as it does today). War was inevitable, but, no one really knew it. So, after seeing that war could be a problem, the capitalists in the Capitols of the world all got together and drew a bunch of little lines on maps in the Middle East, Africa and Asia with no regard to how the people there felt or thought (see how the world is so messed up in these areas today? it all stems from this time).

After this little paper drawing party, the powers at be started to vie against eachother again, but this time, instead of colonies and expansion, they used power bases, and treaties. There were so many treaties from so many different countries involving so many different things that we could go for hours on this. But finally, the big treaties were written, these stated that if so and so got attacked, so and so would come to their defence.

Germany, which at this time covered a large part of Poland, could only imagine expanding into the rich interiors of Russia and the Ukraine. The Austro-Hungarian Empire merely wanted to maintain its hold over its many diverse people. The Ottoman Empire wanted to regain its hold over the Middle East and North Africa, and become a major power again. England wanted to maintain its overseas traderoutes and protect the Suez and Gibraltar. The French wanted the same only they didn't own the latter two. So, you have the haves and the have nots (while the colonial people literally had nothing). Franz Ferdinand's (the man not the band) death in Sarajevo triggered a war against the rebellious Serbs, which in turn, prompted the Russians to join in defense of their little Slavic bretheren and soon it all went to shit.

So, in conclusion, how did capitalism influence the Great War? Well, capitalism = imperialism; imperialism = militarism (to protect the colonies); militarism needs raw materials; colonies = raw materials; colonies = force diplomacy; diplomacy = treaties; treaties = war; war = colonies = capitalism. ... I guess.

TGOW

[Pawn Power]

Alot of the conflict was caused by the Scamble for Africa, in which European nations rushed to get the cheap land, labour, and markets of Africa.