Name: Ethan Rihn

Prompt: In the period 1900-2001, challenges to the existing political order led to military

conflicts around the world. Develop an argument that evaluates how challenges to the existing

political order led to one or more global or regional military conflicts. (Historical Thinking Skill:

Causation)

LEQ Response:

In the early twentieth century, European powers were ompeting for military dominance

by increasing and innovating their armies. There was also a rise in nationalism throughout

European countries. Europe was still dependent on trains for transportation so European planners

planned times and routes to launch militaries in case of war and the plans must have to be

followed or the entire schedule would be disrupted. Overall in Europe there was a balance in

political power with Britain, France, and Germany on top. In the twentieth century, Germany

challenged the existing European balance of political power through World War One which thus

led to the global military conflict of World War Two.

Tensions from competition were rising and Austria-Hungary, a German ally, declared war

on Serbia, a Russian ally, which led to Germany challenging the rest of Europe. Germany

decided to involve Russia’s ally, France, which threatened the existing political balance of power.

However, Germany attacked France by moving through Belgium, a British ally, which brought

Britain into the war. Germany’s actions had caused the leading countries in the existing balance

of political power to be at war with each other and other countries. This conflict to World War

One which was a destructive war that devastated the political power of European countries,

including the Ottoman Empire which collapsed.

 Germany’s actions caused this destructive war when they challenged the political balance

of power in Europe for themselves. However, these actions led to another global military

conflict, World War Two. The destructive war Germany took part in led to Germany to be

changed from its previously powerful political order to be in a shriveled political state that was

bogged down by the ‘guilt clause’ which politically limited Germany. This allowed for Hitler to

rise in Germany through exploiting Germany’s new political weakness. Hitler then defied all the

restrictions placed on Germany, and invaded other countries, this started World War Two which

was a global military conflict. So Germany’s challenge to Europe’s balance of political power

through World War One put Germany in a weakened position to let Hitler rise and aggravate

other European countries which in turn started the global military conflict of World War Two.

However, it can be viewed that Germany may have had no choice to attack other

countries because of the previous mobilization plans that were already set in place, so Germany

really didn’t actually challenge the political balance of power in Europe. This is true, but

Germany did, however, challenge the balance of political power in Europe. They did because

Germany had direct relations with Austria-Hungary ad conversed with them before they declared

war on Serbia. Austria-Hungary had directly asked Germany for permission to attack Serbia and

for assurance that Germany would support the and Germany told Austria-Hungary that they

would support their decision. By this Germany challenged the political order of Serbia and was

ready to challenge the political orders of Britain, France, and Russia which would hurt the

political power of each country and thus the entire balance of European political power. So

overall, Germany did make a choice to challenge existing political orders in Europe though their

actions in World War One which thus led to the global military conflict of World War Two.