Causes of WW1

Question 1

“escape forwards”

Answer 1

Some structuralist historians like Wehler agree win Fischer that GER was aggressive but they were using it to resolve domestic tensions and escape from problems at home. Govt faced problem of stalemate of SPD, Zabern affair and budget deficit. Cons elites sought to pursue war to strengthen their position in the reich and create national unity and to distract attention away from need to political reform

Question 2

Fear of encirclement

Answer 2

War plans like SP were more defensive than aggressive. GER responding to fear of entente crushing them. They felt they faced an aggressive coalition. SP was GER’s only hope for victory if there was a possibility of FRA engaging with RUS in the case of war with GER v RUS

Question 3

Calculated risk

Answer 3

Didn’t have a long term aggressive plan. Leaders took a risk on war with July crisis by escalating conflict between AH and SER as they thought it would be easy victory. If larger conflict developed, GER thought it was better to have war sooner than later before entente powers had full mobilisation and military expansion

Question 4

Real politik- tensions between countries. Great powers slithered into war - Lloyd George

Answer 4

Many countries destabilised peace. Alliance lead to tensions. Suspicions and paranoia lead to arms race. Fallout of Ottoman Empire in Balkans ultimately triggered war. In this context, they didn’t deliberately seek out war

Question 5

War was caused by German desire for European Hegemony

Answer 5

Germany pursued a war in order to become dominant power in Europe. Seen by war council, September programme and Schlieffen plan. Beige the war, GER deliberately destabilised european peace and confrontation with entente powers (naval race, Morrocan crises). When July crisis happened, GER military leaders capitalised on this and encouraged AH aggression through blank cheque hoping to escalate conflict into larger war.