- Emphasis on the 'Coloured books' and Treaty of Versailles - War Guilt Clause - Article 23
German blaming interpretations
Anti-revisionists – The Fischer Era 1961
Fritz Fischer
"Germany’s Aims in the First World War”. He challenged the historical consensus and he concluded that there was a ‘will to war’ amongst the leaders of Germany (intentionalist)
Germany had gone to War to achieve EU/Worldwide domination – bid for Wehrmact under Kaiser Wilhelm II. Similar to that aimed for by Hitler and the Nazis in 2nd WW. There was a basic continuity in German foreign policy between 1871 and 1939.
Germany hoped that the “blank cheque” given to Austria in July 1914 would result in war. Germany’s leaders had deliberately accepted the risk of an escalation of a localised into a European war (intentionalist).
Germany had actually urged Austria to hit out at Serbia, and 'this policy was bound to lead to world war,' since the chances of localising the conflict were virtually non-existent - John Rohl
[The German] bid for continental supremacy was certainly decisive in brining on the European War
John H. Maurer, The Outbreak of the First World War,1995
In the summer of 1914, Austria-Hungary and Germany began the First World War with large military offensives... While Austria-Hungary attacked in eastern Europe, Germany launched its own offensive drive against France.
German military planners counted on an offensive by Austria-Hungary to tie down Russian forces long enough for Germany to execute the Schlieffen plan.John Rohl, Design or Delusion?, 1973
It is now known that one of Bethman Hollweg's chief preoccupations in the July crisis was to make Russia appear as the aggressor so as to persuade German nation that it must defend itself.
'The mood is brilliant,' the head of the Kaiser's Navy Cabinet could write on 1 August 1914. 'The government has succeeded very well in making us appear as the attacked'
The Chief of General Staff, Moltke, 'wanted to launch an immediate attack.'' In his view, 'war was unavoidable, and the sooner the better.' There had, Moltke said, 'not been a more favourable opportunity since the formation of the Triple Alliance.' Admiral Tirpitz however, wanted a 'postponement of the great fight for one and a half years... until the [Kiel] Canal and the U-boat harbour on Heligoland were finished'
Tirpitz's Battle Fleet was from 1897 onwards intended not only as a lever to wrest 'world power status' for Germany from Britain, but also as the last. desperate all-or-nothing attempt to arrest the process of democratisation at home.Norman Stone, World War One: A Short History, 2007
Why should not Germany acquire an overseas empire to match?
M.S. Seligmann and R.R. Mclean, Germany from Reich to Republic, 1971-1918, 2000
Germany was the only power which was actively working for a European war in 1914.
She believed the international balance of power was shifting inexorably against Germany,
This was compounded by the fear of Russia and a perception that Germany was to lose the arms race against the Entente. The July crisis was offering Germany a last chance to achieve European hegemony
Shared Guilt - revisionist/orthodox interpretations
David Stevenson, 1915 - 1918, The History of the First World War, 2012
Only great powers can wage great wars, and six European states acknowledged each other as such: Britain, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy and Germany. Though unequal in political influence and military might, all were stronger than their neighbours. All owed their birth in part to violence and all were willing to use it.
Vladimir Lenin, Imperialism: Highest Stage of Capitalism, 1916
The war was imperialistic - annexationist, predatory and plundering - on both sidesDavid Lloyd George, War Memoirs, 1934
We muddled into war
Luigi Albertini, 1952
German aggressiveness during the July Crisis (and before) was the key ingredient to war
Please note, these are just my notes as part of my revision therefore the arguments are not fully covered - please do further research into the historians, I have provided their names and books in which the quotes are published in.
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