The Failure to Prevent World War I: The Unexpected ArmageddonThis book refines and expands points made in the author’s earlier work on the failure to prevent World War I. It provides an alternative viewpoint to the thesis of Paul Kennedy, Fritz Fischer, among others, as to the war's long-term origins. By starting its analysis with the causes and consequences of the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian war, the study systematically explores the key geo-strategic, political-economic and socio-cultural-ideological disputes between France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, the United States and Great Britain, the nature of their foreign policy goals, alliance formations, arms rivalries, as well as the dynamics of the diplomatic process, so as to better explain the deeper roots of the war. |
Contents
The InsecuritySecurity Dialectic and the Unexpected | 11 |
Origins of the FrancoPrussian War | 39 |
Global Consequences of the FrancoPrussian War | 53 |
British Intervention in Egypt and the Threat of a Continental | 65 |
Bismarcks Strategy and AngloGerman Alliance Talks | 75 |
The Failure of Caprivis New Course | 83 |
Fissures within the Continental Alliance | 107 |
The Failure of AngloGerman Alliance Talks | 121 |
Britains Quest for New Allies | 139 |
The AngloGerman Détente and Eurasian Conflicts | 169 |
The Question of AlsaceLorraine | 191 |
Stumbling into Armageddon | 199 |
The Failure to Prevent World War I | 229 |
| 253 | |
| 267 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Africa alienate align ally Alsace Alsace-Lorraine Alsatian Anglo-French Anglo-French-Russian Anglo-Russian Anglo-Russian entente annexation argued assassination attack August Austria Austria-Hungary Balkans began Belgium Berlin Bethmann Hollweg Bismarck Britain British Bülow Caprivi Chamberlain Clemenceau colonial conflict Congo crisis defense Delcassé despite diplomatic disputes domestic economic efforts Egypt elites engage England entente Europe European fact feared fleet forces Foreign Minister foreign policy forge France France and Germany France and Russia France’s Franco-German Franco-Russian Alliance French Ambassador geostrategic German-led Triple Alliance Germany’s Gladstone global Grey Holstein Papers hoped Imperial Germany interests intervention Italy Japan Jaurès Jules Cambon July Kaiser likewise London Lorraine major powers Mediterranean Accords military Morocco Napoléon naval navy neutrality opposed Ottoman Empire Paris peace Petersburg political possible pressure prevent proposed rapprochement Raymond Poincaré Reinsurance Treaty revanche Russo-Japanese Salisbury secret seeking Serbia sought strategy territory Thiers threat Tirpitz Triple Alliance Triple Entente Tsarist Russia Vienna World