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General Studies 2024 GS Paper I 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Evaluate

GS Paper I — Q12

How far is it correct to say that the First World War was fought essentially for the preservation of balance of power? (Answer in…

How far is it correct to say that the First World War was fought essentially for the preservation of balance of power? (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

यह कहना कहाँ तक उचित है कि प्रथम विश्वयुद्ध मूलतः शक्ति-संतुलन को बनाए रखने के लिए लड़ा गया था? (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q12 of the 2024 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper I, as printed
The question as printed in the 2024 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2024 General Studies questions

Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

The balance of power (BoP) in pre-1914 Europe meant maintaining an equilibrium among major states to prevent any single power from achieving hegemony. While the defence and contestation of this equilibrium were central to the outbreak of the First World War, attributing the conflict essentially to the preservation of balance of power is an oversimplification.

BoP as a Key Driver of Conflict

  • Rigid Alliances: Following the collapse of Otto von Bismarck’s flexible diplomatic web, Kaiser Wilhelm II adopted an aggressive Weltpolitik. This polarised Europe into two inflexible blocs—the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente—turning BoP mechanisms from conflict-preventing tools into escalatory traps.
  • Hegemony vs Status Quo: The war was structurally driven by Germany’s attempt to disrupt the existing balance to secure continental dominance, counterbalanced by Britain and France acting to preserve the status quo and protect vital sea lanes and buffer states like Belgium.
  • Security Dilemma: BoP logic created intense security dilemmas, where pre-emptive mobilisation schedules (such as the German Schlieffen Plan) forced rapid escalation to avoid strategic disadvantage.

Alternative and Compounding Factors

  • Aggressive Nationalism: Balkan instability and Pan-Slavism threatened the survival of multi-ethnic empires (Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans), introducing volatile domestic pressures unrelated to balance management.
  • Imperialism and Militarism: The Anglo-German naval race and competition for African and Asian markets generated systemic friction.
  • The July Crisis: The Sarajevo assassination triggered catastrophic miscalculations and rigid ultimatums, showing that crisis mismanagement, rather than calculated equilibrium preservation, caused the breakdown.

Verdict

The First World War was not fought solely to preserve the balance of power. Rather, while the disruption and defence of the BoP provided the structural framework that turned a regional confrontation into a global war, the conflict was ignited and sustained by the explosive combination of militant nationalism, economic imperialism, and militarism.

What "Evaluate" is asking you to do

Judge how well something has performed against the standard it set for itself — its stated aim, mandate or promise — and commit to a verdict. Name the yardstick before you judge; an unanchored judgement reads as opinion.

Structure that answers it

Name the yardstick — stated aim, mandate or benchmark → performance against it → shortfall against it → why the gap exists → verdict

Where marks are lost

Presenting both sides and then declining to decide, or delivering a verdict against a standard you never stated, which makes it look arbitrary.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS1 History/Polity: Analytical evaluation of historical causation. critique: the claim > its strengths > its weaknesses > your judgment Full marks: Nuanced critique weighing balance of power against other factors with specific evidence.

Key points expected

  • Define the pre-war European balance of power system
  • Identify specific power shifts (e.g., German naval expansion)
  • Contrast with other causes (imperialism, nationalism, alliances)
  • Provide a balanced judgment on the thesis's validity

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Assess the validity of the 'balance of power' thesis as the primary cause of WWI. 15 marks · 250 words

    critique— the claim → its strengths → its weaknesses → your judgment

    Must cover

    • Define the pre-war European balance of power system
    • Identify specific power shifts (e.g., German naval expansion)
    • Contrast with other causes (imperialism, nationalism, alliances)
    • Provide a balanced judgment on the thesis's validity

    Loses marks

    • Narrating a simple chronology of events
    • Ignoring the 'essentially' qualifier in the question
    • Failing to provide a clear judgment/conclusion

    Earns more

    • Mention specific alliance systems (Triple Entente/Alliance)
    • Reference the July Crisis as a trigger
    • Discuss the role of militarism and arms race
    • Reference the 'systemic' nature of the conflict

    Extra mark

    • Reference specific treaties (e.g., Anglo-German Naval Agreement)
    • Mention specific historians or schools of thought (e.g., Fischer thesis)

Practice this exact question

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