HISTORY - CAUSES HISTORIOGRAPHY

Military plans | Militarism :

• Gerhard Ritter (German historian)

  • argued Schlieffen Plan was extremely risky and saw it as the start of disaster for Germany + Europe

• Terrence Zuber (American historian)

  • argued many other military plans were made and considered in Germany, Schlieffen Plan was just one and war cannot be blamed on it

Germany sought war | Imperialism :

• Fritz Fischer (German historian)

  • argued Germany wanted a European war to ensure survival; the persuit of an “aggressive war of expansion“, many in Germany wished for war

• Catriona Pennell

  • argued Germany saw the Balkan conflict as the possibility to expand their empire and as a show of power

Failure of diplomacy | Could be linked to Nationalism :

• John Stoessinger (American historian)

  • argued all leaders acted poorly due to being overly aware of own weaknesses and other nations strengths, said once mobilisation started no one wanted to call it off for fear of looking weak

• William Mulligan (Irish historian)

  • argued Russian defeat in Russo-Japanese war sparked the revolution and led to their increased interests in the Balkans, influencing Germany’s foreign policy (Weltpolitik)