Imperialism and Nationalism -- the 'isms' that gave rise to the First World War

What was the cause of the conflagration known as the 'war to end all wars' that nearly destroyed the entire world during the first part of the 20th century? According to Vladimir Lenin, imperialism alone was the root cause of World War I. The founder of the modern Soviet Union argued that competition for land and resources inevitably let to armed conflict between the capitalist nations of Western Europe. However, although nationalism was a key factor in the development of World War I, an equally critical factor was the nationalism in the colonized nations that imperialism spawned, and the secret alliances contracted between various imperial powers out of fear of one another's concealed might.

In his speech, "The Maintenance of Empire" in 1872, the then-British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli stated to the assembled, "gentlemen," that "there...
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