The Histories Volume 4 | Issue 2 Article 5 2019 Why Great Britain Entered the Great War Norman Simms La Salle University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/the_histories Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Simms, Norman (2019) "Why Great Britain Entered the Great War," The Histories: Vol. 4 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/the_histories/vol4/iss2/5 This Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Scholarship at La Salle University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The iH stories by an authorized editor of La Salle University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The Histories, Volume 4, Number 2 28 IV Why Great Britain Entered the Great War By Norman Simms Throughout the Twentieth Century and into the Twenty-First, many causes have been proposed for why Great Britain entered World War I (the Great War) on the side of France and Russia. Extensive research has indicated that the three most probable causes were the naval arms race, the German atrocities committed in occupied territories, and the violation of Belgium neutrality. Of these three, the violation of Belgium neutrality is most strongly supported as the ultimate reason why England committed itself militarily to the Entente. The book, “Twenty-Five Years” was written by Sir Edward Grey (official title: Viscount Grey of Fallodon, K.G.) who served as Secretary of Foreign Relations of Great Britain from 1892 tol895, again from 1905 to 1916, and died in 1933. Grey’s two- volume autobiography was first published in 1925 and focuses on the political and diplomatic aspects of the war.