World War I has begun. You are the leader of a European country and must decide what to do. Your
nation is one of several that have agreed to support each other in the event of war. Some of your allies
already have joined the fight. You oppose the thought of war and fear that joining will lead to even
more lives lost. Yet, you believe in being loyal to your allies. You also worry that your rivals want to
conquer all of Europe and if you don't join the war now, your country may end up having to defend
itself.
Should you always support a friend, no matter what he or she does? What might be the long-term
consequences of refusing to help an ally? In your opinion, what are reasons for going to war that might
justify the death and destruction that inevitably result? Essay

Well I’m not going to write an entire essay for you, but here are some points that might help. I would encourage you to write about how you would join the war.
Consider that those who don’t join the war will be looked upon unfavourably by most, especially allies they swore to help. Essentially, you would be treated poorly at post-war negotiations.
Also consider the nationalist fervour present among the populous in most European states. People were rather excited for war in many cases, with many believing the war would be over by the Christmas of 1914. Not many knew the true horror of what would transpire during the war, and those who did didn’t make it known to the civilian population whose support they relied upon. Finally, bring up how Belgium declared neutrality but was still invaded by the German army.