An Improbable War?: The Outbreak of World War I and European Political Culture Before 1914

by Holger Afflerbach

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The First World War has been described as the "primordial catastrophe of the twentieth century." Arguably, Italian Fascism, German National Socialism and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism would not have emerged without the cultural and political shock of World War I. The question why this catastrophe happened therefore preoccupies historians to this day. The focus of this volume is not on the consequences, but rather on the connection between the Great War and the long 19th century, the short- and long-term causes of World War I. This approach results in the questioning of many received ideas about the war's causes, especially the notion of "inevitability."… (more)

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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. (

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douboy50 | Oct 10, 2012 |

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The First World War has been described as the "primordial catastrophe of the twentieth century." Arguably, Italian Fascism, German National Socialism and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism would not have emerged without the cultural and political shock of World War I. The question why this catastrophe happened therefore preoccupies historians to this day. The focus of this volume is not on the consequences, but rather on the connection between the Great War and the long 19th century, the short- and long-term causes of World War I. This approach results in the questioning of many received ideas about the war's causes, especially the notion of "inevitability."

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