world war 11
World War I, the first globally destructive conflict that the Western Civilization produced, has been the subject of various analysis, interpretations and reevaluations of the various causes that led to it. Initially, the guilt was placed upon Germany and its allies. Eventually, historical analysis conducted in decades after the event, lead to a shift from the guilt perspective, to a broader one of various interacting factors. Although almost nine decades have elapsed, one question still persists: "Which explanation is best suited as the cause of WWI?"To provide an answer, the views of six historians shall be considered. To begin, James Joll's answer to the question will be examined. It will be seen that he considered several factors that, according to him, interlinked and lead to the conflict. Five additional explanatory models will be analyzed: those of historians Arno Mayer, Wolfgang Mommsen, Donald Lammers, Micheal Gordon and Konrad Jarausch. They concentrated on more specific issues as part of interpreting the causes of the conflict. In his 1980s book The Origins of the First World War, historian James Joll offers an explanation linking the entire social, political and economic spectrum of 20th C. Europe. First, he star
, influenced by the Industrial Revolution, European Imperialism adopted new terminologies: search for materials, market creation, commercial expansion, civilizing mission etc. The war had been thought and planned for well before 1914. At stake, again was the preservation of its empire. The moods of the people were largely the product of a subconscious eagerness for an aggressive war and a century of nationalist/patriotic indoctrination. Could WWI have been prevented? No, for WWI logically followed three centuries of aggressive European expansionism. In 1896, as a young Bostonian engineer was looking for work, a friend told him: "Invent something that will allow those bloody Europeans to kill the hell out of each other!" Two years later, demonstrating his new toy in front of an exhilarated British General Staff, Browning fired non-stop hundreds of rounds through the world's first belt fed, gas operated and water cooled machine gun. The Germans consolidated their southern flank with an alliance with Austro-Hungary. " Thirdly, Joll analyzed pre-war militarism and strategic planning. Nevertheless, Joll points out that domestic policies played a part, but not a big one as to lead to war. Despite beliefs that socialists might determine workers not to support the war effort, patriotism, "inculcated at many levels of national life all over Europe," prevailed. To minimize the role of economic calculations vis-a-vis a war, Joll indicated that the opponents had not "taken into account the economic consequences and needs of a war. From time to time it even implies that one empire will have to step over another. The cultural aspects of Imperialism are visible from the claims of "civilizing primitive people".
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