World War I: A Tangled Web of Alliances and Causes

Before the Great War rudely interrupted everything, Europe's major powers were like a group of friends who couldn't stand each other, yet insisted on sharing a very small room. Competition for colonies, resources, and sheer bragging rights had everyone looking over their shoulder. It was a powder keg situation, just waiting for someone to flick a match, or perhaps trip over their own feet.

To feel safer in this crowded, tense space, these nations devised what seemed like a brilliant plan: alliances. Sign a treaty here, promise to defend an ally there, and suddenly a minor spat between two countries could obligate half the continent to join the brawl. This intricate, interconnected web of defensive pacts didn't prevent conflict; it simply ensured that when the fighting started, absolutely everyone got dragged into it, whether they wanted to or not. It was less a safety net and more a tripwire.