Morbyd said:It's a little more complicated, but it's actually got more to do with the balance of the "great powers".
The strongest countries at the time (Britain & France on one side, Germany, Austria-Hungary on the other, Russia wavering as usual but mainly with the UK-French axis) had a 5-nation balance of power thing going. Once war broke out, which threatened this balance, it was only a matter of time before everyone got pulled into it (the Russians had to pull out, of course, because of that little revolution). The Russians especially didn't like their little ethnic cousins, the Serbs, getting pounced on.
I also studied poli-sci in uni
Your explanation is the structure mine is the substructure. This whole balance, axis of power was based on the discourse that controlling the motherland and the seas meant controlling the world. Or to be more precise, having someone else control it could be dangerous!
I always look for the simple answer Morbyd, sometimes it's the hardest to find!
Did Pol Sci too but much prefered Pol Geo as it delved more into the why rather than the what.
Anyway, I think we have forgotten about one of the main wars in our time.
Star Wars.
) if i went through what they had to. They sites they saw, the acts they had to commit, the lack of care and support when they came home. And most just got on with it... Makes you feel ashamed!