The Causes of the First World War: The Long Blame Game

The causes of the First World War were disputed before the first shots had even been fired. Recriminations intensified following the Treaty of Versailles when the victors accused Germany and its allies of having caused the war. This was the start of a heated blame game in which historians and politicians on all sides became embroiled in a war of documents and publications. More than 100 years on, the question of the origins of the First World War still remains contested.

Based on Annika Mombauer’s The Origins of the First World War (2002), this thoroughly revised and expanded volume examines the political and ideological concerns that fuelled these international disagreements and offers an extensive analysis of a complex and unique historical controversy from 1914 to the centenary and beyond. It provides students, teachers, scholars and non-specialist readers with a comprehensive guide through the maze of conflicting interpretations.

Annika Mombauer is Professor of Modern European History at The Open University. Her other books on World War I include The Origins of the First World War: Diplomatic and Military Documents (2013) and Helmuth von Moltke and the Origins of the First World War (2001).