Unit question: Can a single nation cause global conflict?
Upon reviewing primary and secondary source documents, as well as historiographical viewpoints pertaining to World War 1, the extent to which a single country has the capability to cause global conflict is made clear. Germany's intimidating military and expansionist goals embedded a dangerous sense of fear within other nations in Europe. Eventually, Germany would push for aggressive policies that would only further aggravate everyone involved, all while having full knowledge of the possibility of war. Austria-Hungary would be awarded a blank cheque, persuading it to make hostile actions and demands towards Serbia, all while Italy, Russia, Great Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire stood poised to enter a battle if required. A multitude of factors go into the complex origin of the First World War. In order for the war to reach a near global scale, all of these factors were necessary; if the chain of events leading up to the conflict is traced, it will perpetually loop in a circle of blame, leading to no single country to be placed at fault. Everyone involved had their own subjective rationale behind their actions, and ultimately, a reasonable accusation of any sole nation cannot be made. It is not justified to say that one country has the capability to single handedly begin a conflict of such proportion.