Germany foreign policy was responsible for causing the First World War.

Discuss

Tensions were on the rise once again in the European powers, after the crushing defeat for the French in the
Franco-Prussian war it was clear that a new power had risen. After the years of effort put by Otto Van Bismarck
Germany had now reached such power to compete against the other rival nations. However, with the resignation
of Bismarck the foreign policy in the lead of took became erratic and isolated. Historians throughout history have
pondered on the question of responsibility for the 1st world war, however the predominant opinion is still that
German foreign policy was the main factor for starting the first world war. Some historians believe that Wilhelm
the 2nd was the problem, others believe the assassination of Duke Ferdinand was the responsibility for the war, and
some believe there were no culprit that stood alone for the blame of the war.

After the reunification of Germany Bismarck believed that stabilizing Germany as one of Europe’s great powers to
preserve balance to Europe, but Wilhelm didn’t agree. After Bismarck’s forced resignment and swore that 20 years
from his death if Germany were to follow taken after his dismissal disaster would strike, 10 years after his death
Germany surrendered. This is at the view of the historian John C Rohl, who believes that WW1 was not created by
an accident or due to diplomatic failure, but rather due to a 25-year-old and his angry, autocratic, and militaristic
personality. He believed that the war started due to Wilhelm being naïve and believed that the only way Germany
could move forward was through military and naval armament rather than feeling humiliated as a weak power.
Before the war Wilhelm did multiple attacks on the triple entente which all led to further tensions in Europe. He
believed that allying with Austria and launching an attack on Serbian ground would absolutely lead to war and
hoped to convince the German people into believed they were attacked first. He went into war with the idea that
Britain would stay out of it. However, this is not the only thing responsible, the assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand.

Ferdinand was the presumptive heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. In 1914 Emperor Franz Joseph commanded
Ferdinand to go observe the military manoeuvres in Bosnia. While driving trough the streets of Sarajevo he was
assassinated by a “Black Hand” Assassin which was most likely backed by the Serbian government. This is the idea
of historian Sir Richard J Evans, who believes Serbia was responsible for causing the war. Richard believes that
because of Britain failing to mediate during the Balkan crisis led to more sparks of nationalism and eventually led
to the funding of the Black hand. He believes that without the assassination of Ferdinand the war could have been
delayed until diplomatic measures were taken. Even tough Austria-Hungary were angry due to the assassination,
the first country to mobilize was Russia and France.

Gerhard Hirschfield believes that no one could be blamed alone for the war. He believes that even tough Germany
gave the blank check, it wasn’t Germany that mobilised first. Rather neighbouring France and Russia who were the
first to mobilize on August first, where Germany now felt threatened to mobilize and declared war on France on
August the 3rd. the whole reasoning for the war starting according to Gerhard was that there reason to go to war
over something so relatively small as the Sarajevo murder “resulted from a fatal mixture of political misjudgement,
fear of loss of prestige and stubborn commitments from all sides of a very complicated system of European
states.” He believes that putting Germany foreign policy to blame Is far to narrow as he believes that all
belligerent nations war aims were “trough the context of military events and political developments during the
war”.

There is never a good or bad side when it comes to war, German foreign policy although being a large impact of
the war it couldn’t stand as the main responsibility. As much as Historians and others tend to put the blame on
Germany, we can’t just say that Wilhelm led with an iron fist and felt personally destined to make Germany a
world power. Others were to blame here too, as to have a war you need to side. I personally agree more with
Gerhard as this war could have been avoided or at least scaled down further then what It was.

"World War One: 10 Interpretations Of Who Started WW1". BBC News, 2014,

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26048324. Accessed 25 February 2022

"World War I Historiography". World War I, 2013, https://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/world-war-

i-historiography/. Accessed 26 February 2022.