HISTORY 1DD3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Archduke Franz Ferdinand Of Austria, Serbian Nationalism, Reinsurance Treaty
10 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Ww1 was neither an accident nor inevitable nor was it the sole result of structural or long-term factors. Not the case that the well-established and rampant militarism, rival nationalism, competing imperialism, or the alliance system caused the ww1. Such factors helped shape the conflict that did develop once war was declared. Reason the war broke out in 1914 in the first place had far more to do with contingency, the perceptions and misperceptions of statesmen and ultimately human agency. Leaders of the great powers of europe chose to go to war in 1912, for differing reason, they believed that war was the best alternative given the various situations they faced. In this era, fo(cid:396) eu(cid:396)ope(cid:859)s leade(cid:396)s, (cid:449)a(cid:396) (cid:449)as (cid:374)eithe(cid:396) u(cid:374)thi(cid:374)ka(cid:271)le o(cid:396) a last (cid:396)eso(cid:396)t: fo(cid:396) the men who made the decisions in 1913, war was merely an option, a tool in their diplomatic toolbox.
