Noah MacInnis A00457334
History 1210 – Research Essay Proposal and Bibliography
Oct 2nd, 2023
The Road to War: Examining Germany's Responsibility for World War I
This research essay suggests an exploratory approach to collect information on whether Germany
played a crucial role in triggering WW1 or if the outbreak of the war cannot be attributed solely
to Germany’s actions.
The research objectives of this essay are in the following; Analyze Germany’s diplomatic efforts,
alliances and foreign policy leading up to WW1, Assessment of Germany’s military actions and
their contribution to the balance of power in Europe, Examine Germany’s response to the events
of the July crisis and their responsibility for escalating or containing the situation and Critically
evaluate the historiographical perspective on Germany’s responsibility in the outbreak of WW1.
Preliminary Bibliography
Clark, Christopher. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. London: Penguin
Books, 2012.
Otte, Thomas G. The July Crisis: The World's Descent into War, Summer 1914. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. Signed at Versailles,
France, on June 28, 1919. 34 U.S. Statutes at Large 1780 (1919).
Brose, Eric Dorn. The German Empire and the Great Powers, 1871-1914. New York: Routledge,
1997.