The anarchic international system had trouble regulating conflict between powers, and in fear of losing in a war, countries acted out of self-interest to protect themselves rather than to preserve peace, resulting in World War I. England, as the world superpower in the 19th century, commanded the seas because of their advantage as an island nation; in comparison, Germany only had the Baltic Sea at their use, which was a stretch of a few hundred miles on either side of the peninsula. Yet, Germany’s expansion and rise in power led to fear and apprehension for war within the anarchic international system. In response to the change in powers, countries formed new alliances, built stronger armies, and apprehension for war rose — to the point that once the Balkan Crisis started, war became inevitable.

Raison d’etat — strategic pragmatism — allowed countries to put aside past offenses to form alliances that would help them defend against threats. While these alliances helped the countries that were allying feel more secure, it made the onlooking countries feel more fearful and wary, which led to competition in the international system to form the most advantageous alliances. Germany formed the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882 (Palmer 2). In an attempt to increase security, Germany formed the highly risqué Russo-German alliance in 1887, even though Russia and Austria-Hungary were enemies (Palmer 2). After the Russo-German alliance collapsed in 1887 — due to Russia and Austria-Hungary’s animosity — France, fearing the power of the Triple Alliance, immediately allied with Russia in 1894. However, these new alliances increased states’ perceived vulnerability, escalating the tension and apprehension for war. The naval competition between Germany and England, from 1898 onwards, and the resulting security dilemma and militarization of surrounding European states exemplifies how the anarchic international system discouraged cooperation. While the formation of new alliances upped the tension, Germany had grown in power since their unification, and began to develop a powerful navy to protect their colonies (Palmer 3). England viewed this naval development as a threat and sparked a race for naval competition. Every country started to strengthen their military, which created wariness and fear within the international system because it seemed like everyone was preparing for war. This naval competition, which started with Germany’s selfish aspirations, serves as an example of how the anarchic international system naturally escalates conflict. Thus, England gradually emerged from their prior political isolation, joining the Triple Entente with France and Russia because of their concerns regarding Germany’s growing navy. By 1907, Europe was divided into two opposed camps: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente, which added more tension to the anarchic international system and more apprehension for a war that seemed more and more plausible.

Because the anarchic international system incentivised states to prepare for war, the building tensions and international competition made German citizens and policymakers think that war was inevitable. The 1914 assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, by a Serbian nationalist group prompted Austria to declare war on Serbia. At this time, Germany had two options: to honor their alliance with Austria-Hungary and use their military power to start war, or to risk losing their allies but prevent war. Germany declared war against Russia and then preemptively attacked France and Belgium, predicting that they would side with the Triple Entente (Palmer 7). It was believed that it was in a nation’s best interest to take the offensive because of the advantage of surprise. Because England was allied with France, they were forced to fight Germany. Thus, the bigger powers, England and Germany were led into war by their alliance with smaller powers like France and Austria. New powers like the United Kingdoms and Japan joined on either side of the war: the Triple Alliance or the Triple Entente because of their belief in the offensive. The anarchic international system incentivized them to involve themselves into conflicts and war, to serve their personal best interests. Ultimately, the network of alliances and increasing military competition between countries resulted in a large-scale war, exacerbating the conflict within the anarchic international system.

“The individual must forget his own ego and feel himself a member of the whole, he must recognize how negligible is his life compared with the good of the whole,” German historian Heinrich Treitschke wrote in 1899. However, Germany’s ambitious attempts to gain power and superiority over other countries led to countries’ fear within the international system. Whatever actions Germany took to increase its security, other countries copied as well — with alliances and navy building; thus, Germany’s attempts to gain power leverage actually failed. As a result, mutual distrust grew because attempts to increase security resembled war preparations. All of the security formed from new alliances and increased military power unleashed itself in the Balkan Crises, which soon turned into World War I. Thus, the anarchic international system, by escalating conflicts between countries and encouraging action out of self-interest, harmed the overall good of the international system.