The emergence of the two world wars is a phenomenon that led to a significant loss of lives and property globally due to the disparities in significant ideologies. During the industrialization era, the European nations attained profound developmental initiatives such as technological advancement. It is a condition that cultivated tension across nations due to differences in achievements and power status. An excellent example of the impact of modernization is the essence of imperialism and alliance justified by militarism. This research seeks to assess the short-term and long-term causes of the battles as consequences of the notable blooming worldwide. The key factors that geared the rise of the strife, that is, socio-economic and political inspirations posed a considerable loss of lives and properties internationally.
One of the significant differences between the two World Wars is the short-term cause of the conflicts. At the onset of the first war, there was tension among nations, therefore, Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination who was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian leadership was a profound provocation. He was murdered by a Serbian nationalist known as Gavrilo Princip. The two countries were rivals; therefore, the killing of an influential personality in one of the parties triggered the clash. The provocation of the second military confrontation engulfed the disagreements and arrogance between the American and Japanese governments. The U.S administration received news of Nanjing’s rape and the Manchurian crisis that led to its decision to establish sanctions against Japan. These bans included the exportation of oil, iron, and essential supplies. It is an initiative that significantly affected the economic growth in Japan, hence the promptness to foster an attack at Pearl Harbor thus triggering the tussle. Therefore, while incite for the first strife was political, the spark for the second battle was socio-economically motivated.
Industrialization geared the marginal difference in weaponry from the dynamic technological advancements hence the emergence of militarism across the European and Pacific nations. While states focused on enhancing economic growth and development, they also aligned the initiatives to boost martial power. The striving to attain defense dominance based on the armament led to a distinct margin among governments mainly under the spectrum of the U.S and Japan alliances. On the one hand, the measure in the firearms’ strength geared the conflicts in the First World War. On the other hand, the manpower, and resistance fostered the end of the second tussle. Further, both wars were centralized in different regions, that is, the first one concentrated among European countries, and the second combat was centralized within the Pacific region.
The similarity index between the first and second World Wars emanated from the long-term causes that encapsulated the effect of industrialization on the global territories. Technological advancement is an entity that empowered countries and the necessity to test the limits of control dynamism worldwide. In this case, America and other European states focused on competing for recognition and martial dominance, a concept that enhanced the tension among rivalries. As a result, societies with similar philosophies formed alliances to establish an influential baseline while the margin intensified. The significant frameworks that spearheaded the conflicts and the motivation involved imperialism, nationalism, and militarism.
Consequently, socio-economic and political factors significantly fostered the two World Wars at the expense of human lives and loss of properties. On the one hand, the long-term triggers of the confrontations involved nationalism, imperialism, industrialization, and militarism. On the other hand, different short-term factors led to the emergence of tussles. While the incitement for the first combat was politically inclined, the instigation for the second clash was socio-economically motivated. The evolution of the global society rendered a significant imbalance among communities to determine the power position internationally.