Was Germany To Blame For The Great War

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After the end of the war in November 1918, the victorious allied nations of countries such as Great Britain, France, and Russia all agreed that Germany were the ones that caused the Great War to happen in the first place. On the 28th of June 1919, (exactly 5 years after Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated) the Treaty of Versailles was signed and it was agreed that Germany was to blame which says so in Article 231 of the Treaty which states “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments ... have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her …show more content…

‘Revisionist’ historians wanted to revise the facts to see if the Germans were sole to blame. Marxist (Communists) believed that capitalist businessmen and nationalism, imperialism, militarism and the system of alliances were to blame. While others historians like Emil Ludwig thought it to be politicians and lying incapable leaders.
When the Second World War broke out, with Adolf Hitler and Germany, it made historians go back to the idea of believing that Germany to blame for the First World War. British historian A.J.P. Taylor and German Historian Fritz Fischer claimed that German ambitions of “continental supremacy” caused the War and Germany’s plan of expanding was very similar to that of Nazi Germany’s plan. Italian journalist Luigi Albertini also had this view and believe that Germany’s mobilization plan, The Schlieffen Plan was an offensive plan and meant that when Germany mobilized, it means to go to …show more content…

Rohl believes that from this, it shows that the Kaiser and his Navy and Military friends, were responsible for the War. During the War Council, the Kaiser expressed his opinion in saying that Austria-Hungary should attack Serbia during that December for the ‘Ottoman Empire’ losing against the ‘Balkan League’ and quoting the Chief of the naval cabinet (Admiral von Mueller) “If Russia supports the Serbs, which she evidently does...then war would be unavoidable for us, too”. It also relating to what the Kaiser openly proclaimed a month earlier “The German Support under any circumstances”, the Kaiser ready to unleash a war just to restore Austria-Hungary’s position in the Balkans which we can support with the fact that Austria-Hungary is given a ‘Black Cheque’ after the assassination of Franz-Ferdinand for War. It was agreed that war to be prepared for with the 1913 ‘Army Bill’ getting pushed through and a course set for war in the summer of 1914 when the Kiel Canal Project would be ready, Rohl and other Historians pointing out that this was setting a time of when to go to war, and describing the whole thing as a “Dress Rehearsal” for the July Crisis in

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