Woodrow Wilson once said, “This is the war to end all wars.” World War I, sometimes called the Great War, was considered the war to end all wars. The two main camps were the Allied Powers (Britain, France, Russia, Japan, United States, Belgium, Greece and Romania) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria). The war lasted from 1914 to 1918 and was fought primarily in Europe. Europe has not seen a substantial war since the French Revolution. Technology has evolved, society has changed and countries have modernized. World War I was the first war that involved almost all of Europe and one of the bloodiest wars in all of European history. The start of the war can generally be attributed to a handful of underlying causes. So what were the underlying causes of World War I? The answers are very simple. The underlying causes of World War I are the formation of alliances, the rise of militarism, imperialism, nationalism, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayFirst, the nations of Europe formed alliances with each other. These alliances were an agreement to help an ally in the event of attack. The two main alliances were the Triple Entente, which included Britain, France and Russia, and the Triple Alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. These alliances raise the question of who started the war. The political cartoon Crime of the Ages shows men labeled countries whose size matches their military strength, pointing the finger at another country for war. These alliances would set off a chain reaction that would lead Europe to go to war. Next, European nations would increase their armed forces. It was called an arms race. The chart in document seven shows an increase in the amount spent on its military between 1890 and 1914. Germany more than quadrupled its military budget during this period. Prince Bernhard von Bulow of Germany: “…we realize that without power, without a strong army and navy, there can be no well-being for us.” Germany realizes that it needs a strong military to keep its citizens safe. Prince Bulow goes on to say: "The means of waging the battle for existence in this world without powerful armaments on land and water, for a nation which will soon number sixty million inhabitants, living in the center of the Europe and at the same time extending its economic antennas. in all directions, have not yet been found. He means that the European population is growing faster and faster, that Germany has almost sixty million inhabitants, that the countries of Central Europe will want more land and that they must be able to protect themselves. He preferred that Germany strike first with great force rather than be weak and beaten. They spend too much money on the army and not enough to satisfy the population. Increased military spending meant that war was imminent, whether Europe liked it or not. Moreover, the increase in military spending coincided with the rise of imperialism. Britain, France and Germany had huge territorial claims in Africa and Asia and needed a large army to protect their territory in the event of attack. Britain held the greatest claims, with approximately.