World War I took a toll on everyone between 1914 and 1918. What were some of the main causes and effects of World War I? The causes of the First World War were many, but one of these was the Cult of the Offensive. According to class notes from 4/4/11, countries should not wait to be attacked, they should attack first. The Cult of the Offensive was “a military strategy of constant attack on the enemy that was believed to be the key to winning the First World War but which resulted in great loss of life while failing to bring about a decisive victory” (Hunt, 803). This strategy made citizens ready and willing to go to war. It also employs German propaganda and rapid wars. Another key cause was nationalism. Nationalism is “an ideology that arose in the nineteenth century and holds that all people derive their identity from their nations, defined by a common language, shared cultural traditions, and sometimes religion” (Hunt, G-4). Nationalism can also be described as the attitude that people of a nation have when they care about their national identity, as well as the actions that these people might take when trying to achieve self-determination. Everyone in European countries felt a lot of pride and joy for their country. This has led these countries to try to demonstrate their dominance and power. Each country had to prove itself to be the best compared to all other countries. As this happened, everyone wanted to do their best by helping a warring alliance. During the period 1870-1914 there was substantial growth in standing armies (Lecture Notes, 4/4/11). Many men were ready to go to war. Many countries, including Germany and France, doubled the size of their armies. The arms race then developed, which was almost a competition over which... middle of paper... security. “It was supposed to replace the divine secrecy of pre-war power politics. As part of Wilson's vision, the League would lead the world toward disarmament and arbitrate its members' disputes” (Hunt, 818). The signing of the Treaty of Versailles did not completely end World War I. Many people's lives have been affected by the political, economic and psychological effects. The war also changed people's hopes and spirits as they developed a feeling of disillusionment. They believed that their governments had no way of serving the interests of the people. The psychological effect of the war on people was enormous. The loss of their loved ones on the battlefield was very upsetting to them. There were millions of people who died during this war. These people simply had to accept reality and realize the dreams they had for their families.