1
To what extent was Germany to blame for the outbreak of war in 1914?
The responsibility of the outbreak of the First World War is regularly placed upon Germany, despite
the complexity of the conflict, prior and during, and the significant number of nations and factors
that were involved in the 4-year war. After all, Germany did accept the responsibility of the war by
signing Article 231, the War Guilt Clause, in the Treaty of Versailles. Although Germany contributes a
major role prior to and during the war, they can only be blamed to a small extent to the outbreak of
the war in 1914. This is due to the parts other nations contributed to the outbreak of the First World
War, nations such as Austria-Hungary and Russia. While the factors that resulted to the war are
abundant, the complex alliance system of the era contributed to the greatest extent, more so then
the German nation, as it easily turned a regional conflict into a global one, involving the world’s
greatest powers. It may be suggested that if the alliance weren’t present, the war wouldn’t have left
the confines of the Balkans, without dragging in the empires of Russia, Germany, Britain and France,
among many others.
Germany’s role during the war, and in the years leading up to the war, was that of an aggressive
nature, despite this, in the outbreak of the war itself, the extent of how much Germany should be
blamed is minor. In the years prior to 1914, the tension between Germany, on one side, and Britain
and France on the other, were high, with a clear rivalry. As far back as 1871, Germany’s annexation
of Alsace and Lorraine from France, following the Franco-Prussian war, set the deep-rooted hostility
between Germany and France. This hostility would reappear in the First Moroccan Crisis. Germany’s
opposition to France’s Moroccan ambitions also subsequently entrenched British-German
resentment and furthered the alliance between Britain and France against Germany as a result. As
Philip Bell states:
“…the First Moroccan Crisis saw a Franco-German confrontation over French claims on the
independent state of Morocco…the Anglo-French entente was consolidated and assumed a clear
anti-German aspect.” (Bell, 1992: 102)
To what extent was Germany to blame for the outbreak of war in 1914?
The responsibility of the outbreak of the First World War is regularly placed upon Germany, despite
the complexity of the conflict, prior and during, and the significant number of nations and factors
that were involved in the 4-year war. After all, Germany did accept the responsibility of the war by
signing Article 231, the War Guilt Clause, in the Treaty of Versailles. Although Germany contributes a
major role prior to and during the war, they can only be blamed to a small extent to the outbreak of
the war in 1914. This is due to the parts other nations contributed to the outbreak of the First World
War, nations such as Austria-Hungary and Russia. While the factors that resulted to the war are
abundant, the complex alliance system of the era contributed to the greatest extent, more so then
the German nation, as it easily turned a regional conflict into a global one, involving the world’s
greatest powers. It may be suggested that if the alliance weren’t present, the war wouldn’t have left
the confines of the Balkans, without dragging in the empires of Russia, Germany, Britain and France,
among many others.
Germany’s role during the war, and in the years leading up to the war, was that of an aggressive
nature, despite this, in the outbreak of the war itself, the extent of how much Germany should be
blamed is minor. In the years prior to 1914, the tension between Germany, on one side, and Britain
and France on the other, were high, with a clear rivalry. As far back as 1871, Germany’s annexation
of Alsace and Lorraine from France, following the Franco-Prussian war, set the deep-rooted hostility
between Germany and France. This hostility would reappear in the First Moroccan Crisis. Germany’s
opposition to France’s Moroccan ambitions also subsequently entrenched British-German
resentment and furthered the alliance between Britain and France against Germany as a result. As
Philip Bell states:
“…the First Moroccan Crisis saw a Franco-German confrontation over French claims on the
independent state of Morocco…the Anglo-French entente was consolidated and assumed a clear
anti-German aspect.” (Bell, 1992: 102)
