The First World War (better known as the Great War) was caused by a large number of elements, some long term, some short term and by the spark. Together, these reasons created a brutal war involving many countries around the world and also killing a large portion of the world's population. In this essay, I will explain in detail what started this war and what reasons made it start earlier. What, in my opinion, was the least important reason for the outbreak of war was the enrichment of all countries. England, Germany, France, and Russia, among others, were all expanding their empires and, in the process, becoming much wealthier. England used its money to create a powerful navy, one that was considered the “mistress of the waves.” Germany was also building a strong army and navy to rival Britain's. Countries also began building a new type of battleship called a Dreadnought, which was stronger and faster than any other type of warship. They were created in 1906 – 8 years before the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (which will be explained later in this essay). ) and before World War I was declared a state of war. This helped start the war because these empires had at least the devices, ships, and armies they would need for a small war. This meant that countries would be less afraid of participating in or declaring war, because they likely believed they had a high chance of winning. Rivalry and dictatorship were one of the main reasons for the start of this war. Countries were becoming more and more greedy and nationalistic, wanting and thinking that they were the most powerful. By 1914, Britain had the largest empire in history and claimed much of the world. However, since 1898, when Wilhel...... middle of paper ......e Alliance declared war on Serbia, Serbia asked Russia for help and Russia asked aid to England and France. This is the most important cause of World War I, as it unnecessarily brought five huge empires into the war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. Also, from the formation of the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance, it became clear to everyone who was “friends” with whom and who hated whom. In conclusion, World War I was created by many factors. Some of them had been bubbling beneath the surface for some time and needed to be triggered, while others happened by chance and pitted countries against each other. In my opinion, even if I have expressed through this essay the reasons that seem most important to me, no reason could provoke a war of such magnitude and it is only because of one element piling on top of another as it happened..