Underlying Causes of World War IIIt may seem like wars start suddenly, with little reason, but there is usually a bigger story. New policies, lack of equality, military influence, and excessive government involvement usually favor peace initially. These turn the country or area into a “powder keg”, ready to explode into war at the slightest spark. Although the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the spark of World War I, the policies of the time such as nationalism and militarism were the root causes of the war. Nationalism influenced people's thinking about war, distorting their minds into believing that their government and army were supreme. and would win a war quickly. Because “most European countries, with the exception of France and Prussia, had no major wars during the 19th century, they entered the 20th century thinking they were immune from defeat. This idea of ​​immunity developed as countries forgot about past wars and suffering. The British had faith in their naval forces, the Germans in their weapons and ships, and the Russians thought that their land was protected by God. The citizens firmly believed that their country was the best and that they would do anything to help it. It became a student's duty to join the army after graduation. As Erich Maria Remarque states in his book All Quiet on the Western Front, the “young twenty-year-olds… whom Kantorek calls the 'Iron Youth'” are those sent to war in Germany. Their teachers instilled this message in their minds from an early age. The boys were told that it was their duty to fight against their country. Zara Steiner, a British historian, recounted that British teachers were told to “teach children that success in w...... middle of paper ......Works CitedBeck, Roger B.. History of the Modern World: interaction models. Student and teacher text. Orlando, Florida: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub. Co., 2012. Print."Impact of World War I on the Weimar Republic." Impact of World War I on the Weimar Republic. Np, nd Web. 6 April 2014. .Remarque, Erich Maria, and AW Wheen. All quiet on the Western Front. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1929. Print. "Steiner, Dr Zara Shakow (1928–)." Steiner, Zara. Np, nd Web. April 7, 2014.."World War I." World War INp, nd Web. 6 April 2014.."First World War." World War INp, nd Web. 6 April. 2014..