that all the European great powers had offensive military plans. But the blame tends to
bend down more upon Germany as Imperial Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II and the
Zabern affair of 1913 are often cited as examples of the overbearing power of
militarism. And there is much evidence to support the hypothesis that in 1914 Germany
launched a preventive war- an offensive military plan to prevent others from attacking
you. After considering the above stated facts, it can be said that the power of militarism
invested especially in Germany and the other great powers led to the outbreak of war in
1914.
The Alliance systems made by the powers such as the Dual Alliance of 1879 and
the Triple Alliance of 1882 also had effect on the outbreak of war. The existence of one
alliance led to the creation of another, which eventually led to war. Sidney Fay, an
American History professor states that all the major European countries were
responsible for the outbreak of war in 1914. And he puts the alliance system at the top
of his list of causes. President Wilson pointed out that pre-war alliances with their secret
clauses had provoked fear and mistrust among the countries against whom they were
aimed and eventually led to war. Therefore it can be stated that the Alliance systems
made by the powers held every nation somewhat responsible.
According to many historians, imperialism and the outbreak of war can be
connected. The two Moroccan crises in 1905 – 1906 and in 1911 where the Germans
tried to prevent France from colonizing Morocco, almost led to war. Therefore it can be
seen that Germany tends to be the guilty party.
According to Fischer’s interpretation, Germany was solely responsible for the
outbreak of war. He states that Germany had the will for war, as its aim was to make a
grab at world power. And therefore the German government was planning for war
before 1914, and it is said that the German generals made use of the circumstances. The
above given Fischer’s assertions are now considered valid by many historians.
Therefore it can be stated that Germany is considered guilty as her motives for war are
clearly war provoking.
According to Ruth Henig, France and Britain entered the war, as they believed
their national interests to be threatened by the actions of Germany and Austria-Hungary
in 1914. And they were not prepared to let Germany dominate Europe. Therefore they
joined the war in order to restore the balance of power. After considering the above
given facts, it can be seen that a large part of the blame goes to Germany.
In conclusion, it can be stated that all powers played a role towards the outbreak
of war in 1914. But it is fair to agree with Fischer’s theory that Germany was more to
blame.