Which country do you think was most to blame for causing the Great War?
Officially we can blame Austria-Hungary for causing Great War, because they declared war on Serbia, Russia honored her promise to defend Serbia, which in turn made Germany honor her promise to defend Austria, which in turn activated the Triple Entante between France, Britain, and Russia. When Austrians delivered an ultimatum to Serbia an ultimatum that was almost guarantied to be turned down by Serbia, because it was not possible to accomplish it. Then the Austrians used this case as an excuse to declare war on Serbia after Serbia turned down the ultimatum. However, if there would not be alliance systems then the Great World war would not start just because of this conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
I believe that Germany was most to blame for causing Great War. There were many reasons why we can blame Germany. Germany had many conflicts with greatest European countries. After Franco-Prussian war Germany had taken Alsance and Lorraine form France and France wanted to revenge. Germans was nationalistic and wanted their country to become the greatest power in Europe and to reach the aim Germany needed colonies and strong navy to challenge and overtook Great Britain. That is why German relations with France and Britain become so uptight, because Great Britain and France had the most useful colonies while Germany had useless territories in Africa and Pacific. Britain was powerful and had a large navy. Germans wanted to expand their navy so they could provide raw materials for the new industries, that’s why Germans expand their navy and Britain got angry to Germany, because Britain depend on trade and they didn’t wanted race with Germany.
Great Britain, France and Russia joined one coalition called the Triple Entante and Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy joined in one Triple Alliance. These two alliances were made that if only one country of any alliance would start war with other country form opposite alliance it would start war against each of countries.
Germany and Austria were in alliance where Germany promised to back up Austria if it would be attacked by Russia that is why Austrians felt strong enough to declare war against Serbia (what was under Russian protection). If Germany had not promised to back up Austria, then maybe Austrians would not felt so strong to attack Serbia, which had become powerful and if there were no war between Austria and Serbia then Russians would not prepare all their armies for war to attack Germany and help Serbia.
After encouraging Austria, Germans followed the Von Schlieffen plan against the two countries whit what Germany had conflicts. Germans went to attack France