To What Extent did the Actions of Germany Lead to the Globalization of The Great War?

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Section A: Plan of Investigation The exact nature of how the First World War not only started, but developed into a global conflict has been debated since July of 1914. This investigation will focus on the question, to what extent did Germany cause the globalization of the Great War? To answer this question, this study will look at various theories and versions of how the war began and turned from a small European dispute to a global conflict. Specifically, this investigation will be exploring how the conflict escalated from demands for retribution after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, to a world war. To gain further insight into this, this investigation will not only evaluate historical texts, but will also look at official diplomatic documents and correspondences until the United States’ entrance into the war, which marks the true globalization of the war. The two sources that will be evaluated are The Origins of the First World War: Controversies and Consensus by Annika Mombauer and Official Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War by Edmund van Mach. Section B: Summary of Evidence Tension was rising in Europe as the newly unified German Empire began to feel that it deserved a place among the colonial powers of Europe. Germany saw the success of France and Britain’s overseas empires and had begun to compete with them for colonial and naval strength. (Joll 18-20). This made the leaders of the British and French empires nervous. This lead to the formation of the alliances mentioned above as a way to ensure their dominance in the world. ... ... middle of paper ... ...th Photographic Reproductions of Official Editions of the Documents (Blue, White, Yellow, Etc., Books). New York: Macmillan, 1916. Print. Manchester, William R. The Arms of Krupp. Boston: Little, Brown and, 1968. 293-354. Print. Miller, Steven E. Military Strategy and the Origins of the First World War. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1985. Print. Mombauer, Annika. Helmuth Von Moltke and the Origins of the First World War. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001. Print. Mombauer, Annika. Harlow, Eng.: Longman, 2002. Print. Steinberg, Jonathan. How did Bismarck do it? The creation of the modern unified German state in January 1871 constitutes the greatest diplomatic and political achievement of any leader of the last two centuries; but it was effected at a huge personal and political price. History Today 61.2 (2011): 21+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.

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