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A* 37/40 History Coursework - To what extent was German aggression the most important factor behind the outbreak of war in 1914?

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The entire 4,000-word essay for the History Coursework question ‘To what extent was German aggression the most important factor behind the outbreak of war in 1914?’ is contained in this PDF. This essay has been properly referenced through footnotes, has three primary writers and six secondary a...

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coursework
germany
world war 1
a level
a level coursework

Study Level
A/AS Level
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PEARSON (PEARSON)
Subject
History 2015
Unit
Coursework

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Denise Timbulas

To what extent was German aggression the most important factor behind the outbreak of war in
1914?

Germany was undoubtedly, to a great extent, responsible for WW1, with the Treaty of Versailles

demonstrating this. Germany’s responsibility lies within its governmental decisions leading up to

the wars outbreak, as it exhibited a desire to fight. Professor of International History, David

Stevenson, aligns with this view as he outlines that due to Germany’s unconditional support

towards Austria-Hungary, as well as the governments increased aggression and hostile

behaviour towards the rest of Europe, they are to be blamed for the provocation of WW1. On

the other hand, American historian Sean McMeekin divides responsibility amongst all the five

great powers, including Serbia. Yet, he highlights Russia as the main perpetrator due to their

deliberate schemes to start a European war, claiming that they had most to gain out of it. In a

similar notion, American historian Harry Elmer Barnes supports the revisionist argument by

Germany and largely follows that claim through his written work. Barnes evokes that the Franco-

Russian alliance had planned for a European war from the year 1911, in order to gain their

desire of the Straits and Alsace-Lorraine.

David Stevenson

David Stevenson explores the viewpoint that Germany’s government encouraged a Balkan war

when they urged Austria-Hungary to invade Serbia1 through his book ‘1914-1918', that re-

examined the causes of the first World War. Stevenson outlines that this would have devised a

conflict, which is something that Germany would have known. During the First Balkan War

crisis, Austria-Hungary twice tried to force Serbia to withdraw from positions gained by

threatening it with an ultimatum. Austria-Hungary had to fundamentally acquiesce to Serbia’s

1
‘World War One: 10 Interpretations of Who Started WW1 - BBC News’.

, Denise Timbulas

territorial gains. This had not been the first time where Germany had supposedly ‘exhorted

Austria-Hungary into invading Serbia’. He states that German Emperor, Wilhelm II, told Austria-

Hungary to ‘march into Serbia, with Germanys' backing even if a war with Russia resulted’ 2,

demonstrating German aggression and want for war. In his book, he also argues that if they had

not had obscure insistence on its conditions over the assassinations of Archduke Franz

Ferdinand, it would not have led into a series of war declarations across Europe3.

According to Stevenson, ‘secretly the Austrians obtained a German promise of support for

drastic retaliation’4 assuring her support for Austria-Hungary, which led to their obscene

ultimatum on June 23rd. That secret assurance was referred as the ‘Blank cheque’5. Stevenson

states that the ultimatum demanded for the acceptance of their inquiry into the assassination,

and for Serbia to also supress all anti-Austrian propaganda 6. As you look closer to the

ultimatum's demands, it becomes clearer that Vienna wanted to make the demands as

unacceptable as they could, supporting Stevenson’s argument that its insistences were absurd 7.

He states in his book that ‘Austria-Hungary accepted a war without seriously discussing it, due

to their focus upon Balkan dilemmas’ whereas Germany was ‘much more conscious of what

they were doing’. Stevenson’s theory therefore builds on the claim that Germany was central to

the events that unfolded as they knew what they were enacting.

Overall, Stevenson’s point is that ‘without Germany’s want to provoke a conflict and

encouragement, it is unlikely that Austria-Hungary would have acted so drastically and risked a

2
Stevenson, 1914-1918, 44.
3
Stevenson, 44.
4
Stevenson, 37.
5
‘Cataclysm’.
6
Stevenson, 1914-1918, 37–38.
7
‘The Ultimatum | Der Erste Weltkrieg’.

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