Article by Dina Al-Tawila

Blogger - Content Creator - Peace Ambassador at Global Peace Let's Talk - UK

Note: This article is part of a series that may not reveal Egypt's efforts for peace in the Middle East... but: what is happening in the world today, and whether all of this combined could lead to a third world war, thus helping us understand the Middle East: is it still the same? Or has it undergone a demographic shift across the globe unlike anything we've seen before?

Today is Tuesday, August 18, 2026. What do we mean by this date? We mean the title of this article: "Are we on the brink of a third world war? What are the signs of this war?" Let's briefly examine the causes of the First and Second World Wars, and whether they are significant enough to trigger a global war in so many volatile regions. Because if you want to know what's coming, look to the past; things are always similar. We won't arrive at conclusions now because the results will come quickly... Let's begin.

First: The Causes of World War I

1. World War I broke out in 1914. It was a catastrophic global conflict that began in Europe and then spread to other regions.

2. The war was fought between two main opposing sides: the Central Powers (Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Germany) and the Allied Powers (France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Romania, and Japan).

3. Through information gathered from numerous sources, it became clear that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, played a major role in igniting the war. This assassination was orchestrated by the Serbs in their desire to carve out a Bosnian region from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

4- Following Ferdinand's cold-blooded assassination, Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia. As a result, Russia began preparing to defend Serbia, given its alliance with the country. This Russian intervention in the war angered Germany. The network of military alliances further heightened tensions, leading to a rapid escalation of the conflict.

5. The Rise of Imperialism: Imperialism is a state in which countries seek to enhance their power by seizing vast territories and imposing their political influence on other nations. Before the outbreak of World War I, some European countries sought to consolidate their authority over weaker states in Africa and Asia. As a result of fierce competition for raw materials from these weaker nations, tensions escalated between imperialist powers. Ultimately, this competition for resources contributed to the world's descent into total war.

6. European states sought to strengthen their influence through alliances. For example, in 1881, Germany entered into an alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy. These states pledged to support each other militarily if any of them were attacked. However, Italy broke its pledges when it secretly entered into another alliance with France.

7 - The nationalism means demonstrating a strong sense of patriotism and national identity. But how can nations be proud of themselves without looking down on others? World War I was partly a result of the excessive arrogance of so-called superior nations that believed they were at the top of the world.

8 - The Balkan Wars: The Balkans region is located in southeastern Europe and includes areas such as Bosnia, Albania, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Serbia. Due to the chaos within the Ottoman Empire, the Balkan Wars saw an alliance of Greece, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Serbia fighting against the crumbling Ottoman Empire. In 1913, the victory of this alliance in the First Balkan War led to the partitioning of the Balkans among them. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Balkan Wars created a fragile environment for the major European powers, who sought to exploit the turbulent situation.

The absence of a global governing body: Prior to World War I, there was no United Nations to promote peace among nations. The lack of international laws regulating dealings with aggressor states meant that wars could not be prevented. Although a global economy existed in the late 19th century, codified laws were not in place. The United Nations was not established until 1945 to rescue the world from the ravages of global war following World War II.

Second: The causes of World War II

As a result of unresolved tensions from World War I, economic crises, and the aggressive expansion of the Axis powers

The failure of international diplomacy.

Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, prompted Britain and France to declare war.

The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed heavy reparations, territorial losses, and military restrictions on Germany, exacerbating resentment and economic hardship.

The League of Nations failed: Lacking the capacity to enforce its laws, the League failed to stop aggression in Manchuria (1931), Ethiopia (1935), and elsewhere.

The economic crisis (the Great Depression, 1929): The global economic collapse destabilized democracies.

The rise of fascism and Nazism: Hitler's expansionist ideology, racial supremacy, and desire for revenge against the Treaty of Versailles led Germany to adopt aggressive policies

The League of Nations failed: Lacking the capacity to enforce its laws, the League failed to stop aggression in Manchuria (1931), Ethiopia (1935), and elsewhere.

The economic crisis (the Great Depression, 1929): The global economic collapse destabilized democracies.

The rise of fascism and Nazism: Hitler's expansionist ideology, racial supremacy, and desire for revenge against the Treaty of Versailles led Germany to adopt aggressive policies.

Japanese aggression: The invasion of Manchuria (1931) and China (1937), driven by a quest for resources and dominance in Asia.

Britain and France allowed Hitler early expansion (Munich Agreement, 1938), hoping to avert war, but this only emboldened him.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (August 1939): Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Eastern Europe, eliminating the threat of Hitler waging a two-front war.

The invasion of Poland (September 1, 1939): The German offensive prompted Britain and France to declare war, officially marking the beginning of World War II.

In short

A several questions must be asked that might lead us to understand what is happening in the world today. For example:

1- Has imperialism returned? And has nationalism? Who is leading it globally, or at least who are adopting nationalism as their slogan, as in the past?

2- What was Nazism, founded by the German leader Hitler? Does it still exist today, and where?

3- Is there a settler-colonial ideology among some developed countries, such as Russia and China?

4- Finally: What are the lesser-known international alliances on the global stage (besides NATO), for example?

In short: This article will not answer your questions about the looming threat of a third world war, nor will the second article, which will discuss the major theories governing Western thought today, such as nationalism, neo-Nazism, and others...

Stay tuned for the next article...