The War at Its Core

The War at Its Core

"World War I was not the product of a failed foreign policy. Foreign policy was not a cause but rather an effect. The true cause of the war lay in domestic politics and problems. Bismarck's narrow social synthesis left many Germans out in the cold and produced a virulent class conflict. It was this class-conflict that pushed the German elite into the decision of war."

False. To narrowly blame Bismarck and his inner political workings within Germany towards the conclusion of the 19th century as the primary reason for Germany entering into World War I is extremely short-sighted. Political unrest and uneasiness can surely be directly linked to many of his policies and viewpoints within Germany. However outside of the countries borders his actions and their effects on the people of Germany are not solely responsible for the cause of the war. The class conflict in Germany can be linked to Bismarck, but to blame the elites for going to war is much too small a piece to a already jumbled puzzle. Bismarck alienated many groups of people and sought to hold other factions back. He fought hard to eliminate Catholic influence and limit their political power as his first agenda after unifying Germany. He angered both liberals and conservatives by changing sides whenever an economic crisis occurred and sided with whomever policy best is served to improve the financial well-being of Germany. Bismarck was openly anti-Polish and also labored vehemently against the rise of Socialism. However his conservative approach to government did not appeal to the working class commoners of Germany, the heart and soul of the nation. These common people were not a large concern to Bismarck; they were however to the new Kaiser Wilhelm II. As Bismarck continued to try and crush the socialist movement, it only distanced himself from Germany's new ruler. The new Kaiser showed compassion and concern for the welfare of the people, a characteristic lacking of Bismarck's moral fiber. Bismarck's constant political undermining of the Kaiser led to his dismissal/resignation in 1890, which was 24 long years before the actual beginning of World War I. Reviewing Bismarck's political workings in Germany reveal he did create much unrest and divided the nation amongst its social classes. This division did not start a world war. Kaiser Wilhelm II was an aggressive leader and had an appetite for expansion and domination. Bismarck's foreign policy was based on maintaining peace and stability for Germany to ensure its growth. He appeased many European powerhouses by not stepping on toes and avoiding aggression. He knew that Germany and France would never get along due to their bitter history, but he did befriend Italy, Austria and also kept peace with England by not challenging their naval supremacy. Bismarck often warned of the dangers of a large scale war and that fighting two fronts, envisioning a simultaneous clash with both France and Russia would