Militarism refers to the belief or notion that a nation should keep a powerful military and use it aggressively to promote its own interests. When discussing the events unfolding in Europe, Col. Edward House, an adviser to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, said, “The situation is extraordinary. It is militarism run stark mad.” Revolutionary advances in technology and large-scale production emboldened these militaristic governments and aristocracies, paving the way to the First World War.