IB History Historiography (NOT COMPREHENSIVE AT ALLL)

Orthodox view of WWI

Set out in the Treaty of Versailles. That Germany, and especially the Kaiser, were entirely to blame for WWI.

Sidney Fay

Revisionist on WWI. MAAIN causes, the UNDERLYING forces.

L.C.F. Turner

Post-revisionist view on causes of WWI, in the interwar years. Shared blame as political leaders throughout Europe misjudged and made bad judgement.

Gerhard Ritter

Post-revisionist view on causes of WWI, in the interwar years. Argued that the war was an accident from a crisis out of control, with civilian leaders misled by the military.

A.J.P Taylor

Post-revisionist view on causes of WWI, after the outbreak of WWII. German aggression DID cause Britain and France to fear Germany, making them HAVE to prep for war.

Fritz Fischer

Post-revisionist view on causes of WWI, after the end of WWII. Claimed that German leaders WANTED war and provoked it to increase influence and raise domestic support. Became the new orthodox theory.

Niall Ferguson

Revisionist of the Fischer theory on WWI causes. Stating Germany did not want war because the German navy was not ready, and that BRITAIN'S mistake of joining is what turned it into a world war.

Arthur Schlesinger

American Orthodox view of the Cold War cause. That it was started by teh USSR due to paranoia, fear, and a need for world revolution, all based in Marxist-Leninist ideology.

American Revisionist Cold War Cause

USA responsible from aggressive and imperialistic actions

John Lewis Gaddis

American post-revisionist cold war cause. Started from complicated issues on both sides with each trying to protect security and interests.

Soviet Orthodox Cold War Cause

Entire blame on USA and capitalist west; trying to destroy the revolution, ex. Marshall Plan is Dollar Imperialism

Dmitri Volkogonov

Soviet revisionist Cold War cause. Stalin to blame for creating and deepening the rift between USSR and USA through his paranoia

Soviet post-Revisionist Cold War Cause

As taught in current Russian schools. Acknowledges repression by Stalin, but argues it is necessary and self-defence. USA started it.