What were the long-term causes to the start of world war i?

The major causes of The Great War or WWI (1914-1918) consist of four long-term causes and one short-term cause. I use the acronym M.A.N.I.A to help my students remember the 5 major causes of WWI; they are Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, and Assassination.Apr 23, 2009