Holger Afflerbach

A good book, but the title is a bit misleading. The author shows how the grand strategic and political decisions were made that led ultmately to Germany's defeat and collapse. Although the title suggests that the issue sometimes hung in the balance, considering the strong institutional pressure for a for a military solution, and the personalities of the people involved, it is highly unlikely that a compromise solution could have been arrived at. Even if such an offer had been made, it would have to be accepted by the war-party of the Entente. To the author the gravest German mistake was the complete mishandling of the relations with the US, and he certainly has a point there.… (meer)

This book is the outcome of a conference at Emory University in 2004. The conference was to deal with the question "Was the First World War inevitable or improbable?". Taken from that conference were a select number of presentations which are included in this book. I found this to be the most interesting work I have read on the origins of WWI. There are 18 Chapters in the book; each covering a specific area of study regarding the origins of the war. Some the subjects covered are: The Effect of Detente before WWI; Public Opinion and the Outbreak of War in 1914: Honor, Gender and Power. These are only three of the essays; there are 15 more.

The opinions offered are varied and in some cases admittedly inconclusive. However, that adds to the quality of the material. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the origins of the war, WWI in general or seeking unusual approaches to the start of WWI. The book may be difficult to find. I went through my local library to acquire a copy from an area university.… (meer)