With reference to the Two Major World Wars in the 20th century, answer the following questions:
Explain briefly the causes of World War I with reference to Nationalism and Imperialism.
Topic: Nationalism and Imperialism as causes of the First World War
Answer
AGGRESSIVE NATIONALISM — the nations of Europe believed in their own cultural, economic and military superiority and sought to dominate others. France longed to recover Alsace and Lorraine lost in 1871; the Slavs of the Balkans, encouraged by Russia, wanted freedom from Austria-Hungary; and the newspapers of every country were filled with nationalist rhetoric and inflammatory stories about rival nations, which inflamed popular feeling and made war seem glorious.
IMPERIALISM — the industrial powers competed fiercely for colonies, raw materials and markets in Africa and Asia. Britain and France had built vast empires, while Germany, a late entrant, resented her small share and demanded her "place in the sun". This rivalry produced repeated crises, such as those over Morocco, and left the powers in a state of permanent hostility.
Three marks, so give each cause with real substance — the question says "explain", not "name". For nationalism, the concrete illustrations are Alsace-Lorraine and the Balkans; the examiners’ report notes the role of provocative press reports, which is worth including. For imperialism, the Kaiser’s phrase "a place in the sun" captures the German grievance in five words. Do not bring in the Sarajevo assassination here — that is the IMMEDIATE cause and belongs to a different question.