What Is The Great War In Niall Ferguson's The Pity Of War?

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World War I or as historians refer to it as The Great War, was a tragic and devastating war on multiple levels. The Great War is the world’s first modern war and ended many of the empires that existed before the war was fought. The Great War will set the stage for wars to come and it ultimately sends the world into World War II. World War II often overlooks the devastation of the land and the horrendous number of those killed during World War I. Questions arise dealing with the Great War such as, how did an assassination of the Arch Duke and his wife send the world into war, who really is responsible for the war, the immediate effects and aftermath of the war, and how has war modernized. There are many books written to describe the war in …show more content…

He also has a fellowship at the Hoover Institution and Stanford University. Up to this day he has written fourteen books and is a contributor to both radio and television on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. (Ferguson, Niall Ferguson , 2016) The Pity of War, was a very hard and lengthy book to read through. Since his writing style is analytical and not chronological it was hard to follow. There are some pictures and maps throughout the book to help the reader, but not as much as Strachan provides. This book does an outstanding job demonstrating a conflicting argument against the typical World War I book may discuss.
The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 by Alistair Horne revolves around one specific battle of the Great War. The Battle of Verdun is the bloodiest battle in history to this day. Verdun was a ten month long battle that was fought on a fifteen mile front. This horrendous battle was fought between France and Germany. 700,000 men died in this battle alone. Trench warfare is introduced and generals on both sides are seen lying to their men about the suffering and losses the other side is dealing …show more content…

Although he supported allies and provided some trade with them, America was being attacked by Germany’s naval strategy of unrestricted submarine warfare. With America’s commerce and civilian boats being an open target on the seas, worried many Americans that eventually the United States would also be thrown into the world conflict. The final cause that put America in the war was the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram by the British. The Zimmerman Telegram by Barbra W. Tuchman explains the background information of the state Mexico is in, as well as Germany knowing it is a matter of time before the United States joins the war, which led these two countries communicating. Germany’s foreign minister Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to Mexico in January 1917. In the telegram, Zimmerman was trying to make an alliance with Mexico. Germany was offering Mexico a chance at gaining the Mexican Cession that they lost to America. If America were to join the war, Germany wanted to slow the process of America mobilizing troops by distracting them on their southern border. However, the telegram was intercepted by British intelligence. Great Britain knew they had to inform America at the right moment. They needed to make sure that America would take it serious. America entering the war on the side of allies was Great Britain’s last chance of winning the

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