What were the main causes of World War I? Check all that apply.

A. nationalism

B. militarism

C. imperialism

D. pacifism

E. defeatism

F. alliances

World War I had four main causes including letter choices A, B, C, and F.

Militarism - The desire to show military strength/superiority caused European nations to create enormous armies and a significant amount of weapons.

Alliances - Political and military alliances resulted in several different countries getting involved in the war that were not directly affected by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Imperialism - The competition of European countries over territories in Africa caused increased tensions. European countries competed over valuable resources in Africa such as gold. This era was known as the "Scramble for Africa."

Nationalism - During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European countries were competing over international power and influence. Each country used propaganda in order to support the idea that their country was suprerior to other countries.