The Origins of World War One
 Structural Causes
 Immediate Political Causes
 An Inevitable War?
Scrambling for Africa
“We want eight, we won’t wait”
The Dreadnought
Crown Prince Wilhelm, 1913
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Now certainly we must not thanklessly deny that a wave of economic prosperity brings with
it much that is good. But the shady side of this too rapid development often manifests itself
in a painful and threatening manner. Already the appreciation of wealth has gained in our
country an importance which we can only observe with anxiety.
The old ideals, even the position and the honour of the nation, may be sympathetically
affected; for peace, peace at any price, is necessary for the undisturbed acquisition of
money.
But the study of history teaches us that all those States which in the decisive hour have
been guided by purely commercial considerations have miserably come to grief. The
sympathies of civilized nations are today, as in the battles of antiquity, still with the sturdy
and the bold fighting armies; they are with the brave combatants who, in the words which
Lessing puts in the mouth of Tellheim, are soldiers for their country, and fight out of the love
which they bear to the cause.
Certainly diplomatic dexterity can, and should, postpone the conflict for a time, and at times
disentangle the difficulties. Certainly all those in authority must and will be fully conscious of
their enormous responsibility in the grave hour of decision. They must make it clear to their
own minds that the gigantic conflagration, once enkindled, cannot be so easily or so quickly
extinguished.
As, however, lightning is an adjustment of the tension between two differently charged strata
of the atmosphere, so the sword will always be and remain until the end of the world the
decisive factor.
Austria-Hungary: Leaders
Franz Josef & Berchtold
Germany’s leaders
Wilhelm II & Von Bethmann-Hollweg
Asquith and Grey
France’s Leaders
Viviani & Poincaré
A fatal wrong turning
Sergei Sazonov & Nikola Pasic
Moderates faced with impossible demands
War Plan
To War!
How to treat the Kaiser
Propaganda
God and Nation
Sonnino, Salandra, Vittorio Emmanuele
Treaty of London, 1915
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Extracts from The Treaty of London:
[Great Britain, Parliamentary Papers, London, 1920, LI Cmd. 671, Miscellaneous
No. 7, 2-7.]
ARTICLE 1. A military convention shall be immediately concluded between the
General Staffs of France, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia. This convention shall
settle the minimum number of military forces to be employed by Russia against
Austria-Hungary in order to prevent that Power from concentrating all its
strength against Italy, in the event of Russia deciding to direct her principal effort
against Germany....
ARTICLE 2. On her part, Italy undertakes to use her entire resources for the
purpose of waging war jointly with France, Great Britain, and Russia against all
their enemies.
ARTICLE 3. The French and British fleets shall render active and permanent
assistance to Italy....
ARTICLE 4. Under the Treaty of Peace, Italy shall obtain the Trentino, Cisalpine
Tyrol with its geographical and natural frontier, as well as Trieste, the counties of
Gorizia and Gradisca, all Istria as far as the Quarnero and including Volosca and
the Istrian islands of Cherso and Lussin, as well as the small islands of Plavnik,
Unie, Canidole, Palazzuoli, San Pietro di Nembi, Asinello, Gruica, and the
neighbouring islets....
ARTICLE 5. Italy shall also be given the province of Dalmatia within its present
administrative boundaries....
ARTICLE 6. Italy shall receive full sovereignty over Valona, the island of Saseno
and surrounding territory....