Walter sighed as he looked down at the blank Word document open on his laptop screen. He had a 5,000 word history essay due at the end of the week titled “An analysis of the causes of World War 1” and he had not even started writing yet. It was Tuesday afternoon and he knew that if he wanted to produce his best work, he would need to devote significant time each day to research and writing.
Walter decided to start by doing some preliminary research to gather background information and ideas before beginning to craft his argument and structure his paper. He launched a web browser and spent the next few hours reading summaries of the major events and factors that contributed to the outbreak of World War 1. He took detailed notes on the rise of militarism in Europe, the formation of military alliances between countries, rising nationalism and imperialism, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that directly triggered the war.
With several pages of notes compiled, Walter felt ready to start planning out his essay structure. He wanted to take a multifaceted approach and discuss three main causes of the war. He opened a new Word document and created an outline with the following main points:
I. Introduction
A. Thesis: The outbreak of World War 1 was caused by a complex interplay of militarism, imperialism, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand which upset the balance of power in Europe.
II. Militarism in European Powers
A. Arms race between Germany, Britain, France
B. Large standing armies developed
C. Alliances influenced by growing militarism
III. Imperialism and Nationalism
A. Competition for colonies fueled tensions
B. Nationalist sentiments rose in response to imperialism
IV. Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
A. Failed assassination attempt triggered Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia
B. Alliances pulled other nations into the conflict
V. Conclusion
A. Reword thesis, summarize main causes discussed
Walter felt satisfied with the outline and flow of ideas. The structure gave him a blueprint to follow as he started writing each section in more depth. He decided to focus on the militarism section first since it provided necessary historical context for the tensions that developed prior to 1914.
After consulting his detailed notes, Walter began drafting the first body paragraph:
“In the late 19th century and early 20th century, European powers such as Germany, Britain, and France engaged in an aggressive arms race, significantly expanding the size and capabilities of their militaries. Fueled by nationalism and competing ambitions for power and territory, these nations stockpiled weapons and developed new military technologies in an escalating cycle. By 1914, Germany had established itself as a dominant military force on the continent under Kaiser Wilhelm II and had nearly doubled the size of its army over the previous decade to over 800,000 troops.”
Walter continued researching and refining the paragraph until he had two full pages discussing the militarization of Europe and how it contributed to rising tensions between nations in the years leading up to the war. Feeling satisfied with his progress, he decided to stop for the evening and get a fresh start in the morning.
The next day, Walter dove back into his essay by addressing imperialism and nationalism in the second body paragraph. He discussed how the Scramble for Africa led European powers to compete for overseas colonies and resources, enhancing national prestige but also fueling distrust between nations. Walter elaborated on how this imperial competition intensified feelings of patriotism and ethnic pride within countries, hardening national identities across Europe.
When he reached the end of this paragraph, Walter checked the time and was surprised to see that three hours had already passed. Pleased with his momentum, he decided to keep writing and started work on the third body paragraph covering the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. He explained how the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by Serbian nationalists in June 1914, leading Austria-Hungary to issue an ultimatum to Serbia and declare war when their demands were rejected. Walter then described how the complex network of alliances pulled other European powers like Germany, Britain, and France onto opposite sides of the conflict.
By evening Walter had filled over seven pages with his essay. He reread what he written to ensure a cohesive flow of ideas between paragraphs before calling it a night, satisfied with the progress made. Over the next couple of days, Walter devoted blocks of focused time each afternoon and evening to refining his writing. He added more context and analysis, strengthened transitions, improved sentence structure, inserted quotes from historians to support his points, and thoroughly proofread multiple times.
On Friday evening, Walter typed out his conclusion paragraph summarizing the three main causes of World War 1 discussed – militarism, imperialism, and the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. In restating his thesis, he closed the loop on the essay’s analysis of how these complex intertwined factors upset the balance of power in Europe and led multiple countries to declare war in August 1914, igniting the massive global conflict.
Walter smiled as he typed the final period, completing his 5,000 word essay with hours to spare before the deadline. Through diligent research, strategic outlining, and focused writing sessions each day, he was proud of the nuanced analysis he crafted. Walter saved his work, submitted the essay electronically, and looked forward to receiving his professor’s feedback, feeling satisfied that all of his hard work paid off.
Andrew Stroud