Leading Up To The First World War (WWI)

Chapter 28 Descent into the Abyss: World War I and the Crisis of the European Global Order

Through the book ‘Europe’s Last Summer’ David Fromkin tackles the issues of pre WWI Europe, and the surrounding political, economic, social, debacles that led paranoid countries to go to arms after nearly a full century of relative peace within the European continent. While Fromkin certainly points his fingers to all the nations of Europe his primary focus lies with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Though he continues to stress throughout much of the book that Kaiser Wilhelm II and Archduke Ferdinand were fervent keepers of the peace within their nations, the fault of the war ultimately could be laid at the feet of their two nations and their constant attempts at war-mongering. He claims the war could have been avoided for the moment, had all the nations of Europe wanted peace, but the two bad eggs of Europe drew them all into an unavoidable general war.

It is heavily debated that the display of German aggression inevitably contributed to the outbreak of general European tensions, and war in 1914. The use of strategies such as the Anglo-German Naval Race, as stated in Joll’s source, highlighted the aggression by Germany prior to war. Moreover, this type of tactic also demonstrated the desire and hunger Germany obtained for continental power, another factor towards European tensions. The sources in question both support and contest the set statement, to an extent. Sources 1 and 3 by Corrigan and Joll, respectively, argue how Germany’s use of tactics agitated European powers, thus causing war. However, Source 2 by Turner disagrees with the statement, arguing how other European powers were to

Although the world seemed at peace in the early 1900’s but world’s powerful forces were pushing Europe towards war. These forces included militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism.

The allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage (Doc D). The War Guilt Clause states, the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggressor of Germany and her allies (Docs D)which indicates that the aggressor Germany must pay the reparations to the countries they aggressed and have full responsibility of the damage they caused to the people of those countries. Due to the unfairness of the Treaty of Versailles , the people of Germany lost some of their pride. Their humiliation and loss of pride, causes the people of Germany to want to fight back. As a result they support Adolf Hitler. The Germans admire Adolf HItler because they felt he gave them a sense of pride, reawakened a sense of self-respect, forcing the world to look at Germany

This included the countries of the triple entente, who fully blamed Germany for the war, despite their contributions. After winning the war, these countries saw the Versailles Treaty as an opportunity to use Germany as a scapegoat and avoid criticism for their own actions. In Document 4, they hold Germany completely responsible, because they were enemies and they could. This enmity towards Germany provides just cause to question the bias of this document. Germany had a differing view, saying they were “far from declining all responsibility for the fact that this great World War took place” (Doc 5).

The First World War, also known as the Great War, began in about 1914 and went on until 1918. This brutal war was an extremely bloody time for Europe and the soldiers that fought in it. These men spent their days in trenches holding down bases and taking in attacks from all sides. The soldier's only free time was consumed with writing letters to those on the home front. The letters they wrote contain heart breaking stories of how their days were spent and the terrible signs of war. The War consumed them and many of them let out all their true feelings of war in their letters to loved ones. In The First World War: A brief History With Documents we can find some of these letters that help us understand what the First World War might have

Many historians argue that the reason for Germany going to war was due to the aggressive behaviour of Germany in the build up to the war. Throughout this essay I will be addressing this issue looking at whether Germany was responsible for the outbreak of a general European war in August 1914. There are many factors which contribute to the outbreak of the war from a short-term trigger such as the assassination of Franz Ferdinand to the long-term annexation aims Germany implemented in the years building up to the war, the most important reason was Germany’s aggressive foreign policy, they had provided

Promptly after the First World War had ended there were many debates about who or what caused the war. Historians such as Fritz Fischer argued that Germany was the to blame for the entirety of the war but there have been many more ideas of what was the cause of the war and therefore causing peace to fail. The main ideas amongst historians for the underlying causes of the war are the different balance in power due the formation of alliances, imperialism, militarism and also the July Crisis of 1914. This essay will argue that the alliances were the main cause of peace failing as with the constant conflict of interests and increasing tension it made it almost impossible to create peace in Europe in 1914.

After World War I, many Americans feared the idea that communism would spread, they called this concern “The Red Scare”. Americans were wary of the spreading of communism after the Russian Revolution, in their paranoia America attempted to block new incomers, especially eastern and southern Europeans. In addition to The Red Scare, there were limited jobs in America, because of this generations of workers whose families had immigrated before the 1900s, began to view new incomers as a threat because they would work for lower pay and further reduce the jobs available for the nativists . Due to these concerns, immigration regulations went into effect. For instance,

The war that broke out in 1914 was one of the worst, if not the worst, wars in human history. It had left millions dead and a scar burned into European history forever. However, if we do not identify why war broke out in 1914, stopping others wars will be impossible. Clearly, we may never know the answer to this, but many sources give many interpretations. In this essay, I will try to recognise the key factors that led the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 and try to identify the most significant of these causes.

Romanticism began in the closing decades of the Eighteenth Century. Influencing all spheres of life, pervading the populace of Europe and the first half of the Nineteenth Century with idealistic, yet unreal sentiment. Contradicting any romantic or idealistic belief were the uniform followers of rationalism and conservatism, descendents of Puritanism that arose in the Church of England during the early 17th Century. The German writer E. T. A. Hoffmann quoted in retrospect "infinite longing" was the essence of romanticism, if this definition is accepted, it may be said that it created in Europe, an illicit hunt for a "utopian" society. This I theorize is the

After the First World War (1914-1919), the world was faced with the questions - who was responsible and what was reason for the outbreak of the war. Ultimately it was agreed on the 28 June 1919 that “the Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage” from the First World War. However, there have been many other interpretations on whom and what was responsible for the war. On the one hand, some historians would agree with David Lloyd George’s notion of all “the nations slithered over the brink into the boiling cauldron of war”, however, on the contrary, others would agree with Fischer in arguing that Germany’s aggressive foreign policy was responsible for the First World War. Whether you agree with Lloyd George or Fischer, it is important to understand some of the other possible reasons for the outbreak of the First World War – including the growth of nationalism and imperialism, the alliances within Europe and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Although this essay will argue that Germany’s aggressive foreign policy was responsible for the outbreak of the First World War, it will also illustrate why other historians have argued against that notion.

With the start of World War I, Germany’s present leadership gained hope of a limited and mundane war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. With the Russian backing for economic superiority; these powers had a large advantage over the German powers and their allies. With Germany’s

Furthermore, Gerhard Ritter has argued that German aims in 1914 were ‘essentially defensive and that what Bethmann Hollweg hoped for was at best a diplomatic victory which would split the entente , showing her desire to break the encirclement. The intent of German policy was to drive a wedge between Britain and France, whom together were a great check against German power in Europe. Yet the Russian threat from the east compounded the fears of the Anglo-French alliance, and as Otto von Volderndorff stated, ‘we must confine ourselves to securing our country against the two neighbours [France and Russia]’ . Further historiographical support for this theory comes from Andreas Hillgruber , who argues that Germany sought to break the Triple Entente by encouraging Austria to invade Serbia and provoke a crisis that concerned only Russia, and in doing so hope that neither Britain nor France felt compelled to enter the conflict, leaving Russia isolated and to eventually reach an agreement with Germany. This theory is quite compelling as it serves both to explain Germany’s quick support of Austria, and to match Germany’s concern of the Triple Entente. Yet this idea is not concurrent with Germany’s actions towards France. If keeping France out of the war was a goal, then antagonizing her seems