Imperialist rivalries, new political alignments, and aggressive militarism set the stage for world war i. in russia, political factions erupted into civil war after the bolshevik revolution. consider these developments. then explain how war is shaped by political motivations and relationships, as well as by technological innovations. include the following topics: tensions that eventually resulted in world war i and effects of militarism major alliances during world war i new military technology, such as trench warfare and mustard gas the revolutions in russia and the rise of the bolsheviks the legacy left after world war i.