How useful is the 'Fischer Thesis' in helping to explain the origins of the First World War? Fischer's Thesis was thought to be controversial due to the much-accepted Lloyd George's theory to why World War One happened

        Firstly I will start with my opinion of what I think of Fischer’s Thesis. I agree with Fischer’s Thesis for several reasons. My first reason behind why I agree with Fischer is that countries such as Great Britain and France were major powers in Europe leading up to the First World War. Due to this I agree with Fischer’s statement that Germany wanted to seek this power that these countries had and would go about by using force if necessary. Germany had the means to do this due to them being behind these countries and as Fischer states that they would try and get this power with or without applying necessary force in the form of War.  Germany began the war against France and Great Britain and from this you can say that German Leaders did concede in that the only way to end countries with large amount of power was to take them to war. My next reason as to why I agree with Fischer’s thesis is due to the fact he states that Germany had planned this long before the war began. I agree with this as I think that Germany, as stated earlier wanted the power of the likes of France but knew they couldn’t attain this from them. So from them knowing this (Germans) I agree with Fischer that they planned this attack before they actually decided to go to war. My final reason why I agree with Fischer’s thesis is that he states that the Germans were trying to make the British think they had been provoked by the French. I agree with this as the Germans held the British as a major super-power in Europe and a threat if they went against them in the war. By trying to make the British think the French started World War One instead of Austria they would join sides with the Germans and share the power that they had.

        But Fischer’s Thesis does have its limitations and its critics. Due to the controversy that Fischer caused with his thesis he was criticised heavy by German polititians and by fellow historians. One of his major critics has Ritter, who suggested that he had written his thesis outside that proper historical context. Ritter claimed that Germany wasn’t an aggressive country compared to other European countires of that time and argued that, ideas of struggle were popular at that time in the twentieth century in European country governments. Ritter also criticised Fischer by saying that he had got his time-scale inaccurate. Ritter criticised this as he argued that the German officials had published Hollweg’s September programme after the World War One had begun. Fischer stated in his book World Power or Decline that they had published Hollweg’s programme outlining Germany’s war aims before the war began. Ritter also backed up this criticism with proof that other European countries with power had been making up similar plans like Hollweg’s programme. Fischer claimed that there were lines of similar plans between the second and third Reich and from this Germany started World War One. Ritter criticised this immensely saying that how could there be similar plans between the two Reich’s even though they were both similar to Nazi policies.

        The Germans thought that the surrounding countries, which it wished to gain control over, i.e. France and Russia, encircled them causing the Schlieffen Plan to be created. This plan was made in order take France out in the first six weeks of the war before Russia had time to react to this, as France and Russia were strong allies. With Germany hoping to do this it would enable them not to fight the war on two fronts being that if a European War came about they would have an easier chance of winning it. This plan failed when it came into action due to several troops being absent from the western front of field causing poor communication among troops allowing the French to locate their position.

        To conclude I agree strongly with the Fischer’s Thesis in regarding to how World War One started, but it does have several weak points as outlined in this essay.