Origins of the First World War, Fourth Edition

Description

Origins of the First World War summarizes the policies, issues and crises that brought Europe to war in 1914. Examining the strategic and political problems that confronted each of the great powers and the way in which social and economic factors influenced the decision-making process, Martel discusses the position of each power and their place in the system of alliances which dominated international politics. The fourth edition has been revised and updated throughout to incorporate the body of new scholarship that has appeared since the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of war. In a clear and accessible manner, it explains: - how and why the alliance system was created - how alliances led to a network of complicated strategic commitments - how an escalating series of international crises from the turn of the century fuelled preparations for war - why the peculiarities of the Balkan situation are essential in understanding the outbreak of war in 1914. This book also includes an updated Guide to Further Reading, Who's Who of important figures and Glossary of key terms, and the selection of documents has been expanded to include the key treaties as well as evidence of popular militarism and nationalism. Concise, accessible and analytical, it is essential introductory reading for all students interested in the origins of the First World War. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of figures......Page 8 List of maps......Page 9 Chronology......Page 10 Who's who......Page 14 Maps......Page 21 PART I Analysis and assessment......Page 26 The outbreak of war......Page 28 Explaining causes......Page 31 The Triple Alliance......Page 42 The Dual Alliance......Page 57 Great Britain......Page 69 The diplomatic revolution......Page 76 The vortex of south-eastern Europe......Page 89 The July crisis......Page 102 4 Assessment......Page 113 PART II Documents......Page 128 2 The Triple Alliance......Page 130 3 The Reinsurance Treaty......Page 131 4 Bismarck's eastern policy......Page 132 6 The 'Willy–Nicky' correspondence......Page 133 8 The Franco-Russian Military Convention......Page 135 9 The 'Kruger telegram'......Page 136 10 The Tirpitz Memorandum of June 1897......Page 137 11 Germany and 'world policy'......Page 138 12 Economic parasites of imperialism......Page 139 13 The Anglo-Japanese Alliance......Page 140 14 Schlieffen and the Russian army......Page 141 15 Germany, Britain and Morocco......Page 142 16 The Manifesto of Futurism......Page 143 17 The Black Hand......Page 144 18 Russia, Britain and Persia......Page 145 19 Capitalism in the Balkans......Page 146 20 France and Belgium, January 1912......Page 148 21 Russia's Balkan policy......Page 149 23 The'War Conference'of December 1912......Page 150 24 Germany, Sir Edward Grey and foreign policy......Page 152 25 Germany's strategic situation in May 1914......Page 153 26 English opinion and the Triple Entente......Page 154 27 Germany and the assassination......Page 155 28 Will Germany restrain Austria?......Page 157 30 The aftermath of the assassination......Page 158 31 Germany's Balkan policy......Page 160 33 The policy of Sir Edward Grey......Page 161 34 The Austrian ultimatum......Page 163 35 Italy and the breakdown of the Triple Alliance......Page 164 36 Serbia's reply to the ultimatum......Page 165 37 Britain's response to the Serbian reply......Page 167 38 Germany's response to the Serbian reply......Page 169 39 The Russian mobilization......Page 170 40 Germany and the next war......Page 171 Glossary......Page 174 Guide to further reading......Page 178 References......Page 205 Index......Page 210