Taking your Oxford English Dictionary definition of "civilisation":

(1)the stage of human social development and organisation which is considered most advanced
(2)the society, culture and way of life of a particular area.

Then tacking "Western" on the front you would find that throughout Europe (the specific or particular area you have chosen to focus on) there was no great desire for war among the majority of "western"/European nations apart from Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire due to Serbian agitation.

The First World War kicked off the way it did because German mobilisation once ordered could not be halted and that mobilisation required the immediate attack through Luxembourg and Belgium in order that bottlenecks did not develop that would have a detrimental effect on the German attack on France in the West.

It had nothing whatsoever to do with "western civilisation" per se.