'The First World War arose primarily as a result of German aggression.' How far do you agree with this opinion? Use Sources 1, 2 and 3 and your own knowledge related to this controversy

Likewise, Sources 2 and 3 convey the fundamental role that the European alliances had in triggering WWI. Source 2 stresses the importance of ‘The aggressive designs of the hostile powers surrounding Germany’ making war more of a possibility due to the hostile nature of the alliances, notably the Triple Entente of Britain, France and Russia. In fact, the implications of Germany being surrounded geographically by the Entente Powers imply that Germany would be unable to avoid a conflict with such Powers; making this strict Triple Entente alliance mainly responsible for the descent into war. However, Howard in Source 3 alludes to the other dominant European alliance: the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, ‘Austria-Hungary needed German support to confront Russia’. The connotations of ‘needed’ portray a complete dependence on the 1879 German-Austria alliance to act aggressively towards Russia and the Balkans. Therefore, the German ‘Blank Cheque’, promising unconditional support, offered to Austria in July 1914 was arguably due to the necessity of Germany having to support her ally, Austria rather than German aggression. Consequently, the implications of the various alliances making declarations of war more likely were inevitably fundamental in triggering war in 1914.

Furthermore, the elevating tensions caused by the crisis in the Balkans undeniably provided the resentment necessary for war by 1914, as noted by Sources 1 and 3. Notably, Source 3’s assertion that war, ‘Arose from rivalry between the Habsburg Monarchy and Russia…over the disintegrating empire…in the Balkan peninsula’ conveys that the conflict in the Balkans gave Austria and Russia the means to declare war on each other. In fact, following the Austrian annexation of Bosnia in 1908; the desire for Balkan independence grew drastically, especially in Serbia. Naturally, this plight for Balkan autonomy was supported by Russia, another Slavonic nation; thereby conflicting with Austria’s imperialistic attitudes. While this tension led to the bloody Balkan Wars of 1911-12, which resulted in Balkan victory; Source 1 undermines the importance this conflict held in provoking general European war in 1914. Taylor, in Source 1suggests that, ‘The struggle of Slavs and Germans in the Balkans were very great nonsense as far as most Russians were concerned’, implying that Balkan troubles were not at all responsible for heightening tensions before 1914 that could have contributed to WW1. However, Taylor’s interpretation seems invalid due to the notion of Austria declaring war on Serbia after Serbia rejected a deliberately unacceptable ultimatum threatening to investigate Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination in Belgrade. Therefore, the animosity generated between Austria and Russia due to unrest in the Balkans undeniably contributed significantly to the rapid onset of WW1.

However, Sources 1 and 3 also recognise the impact of the Naval Race between Britain and Germany in starting WW1. Source 1 notes that Germany ‘Complained of “encirclement”’, which is echoed by Howard in Source 3, ‘British diplomacy was seen in Germany as a deliberate attempt at encirclement’. It is plausible that this concept of ‘encirclement’ refers to the rapid development of British and German navies prior to 1914. The prevailing belief of ‘Weltpolitik’ in Germany of establishing their presence as a world Power encouraged the Naval League in the Reichstag to provide bills for naval expansion. This resulted in a series of Naval Laws between 1900 and 1908, with the 1908 Naval Law entailing the construction of 6 battleships in order to rival the immense size of the British fleet. Although this German naval expansion stemmed from the Kaiser’s admiration of Britain, this Naval Race unintentionally made Britain and Germany more open to the prospect of war due to the vast strength of their navies in comparison with that of other Powers, like France and Italy. Therefore, despite the Naval Race only taking place between Germany and Britain, the strength of their respective navies by 1914 inevitably encouraged the countries to become entangled in war due to the possibility of demonstrating their naval dominance to other European Powers.

In conclusion, although Germany was indeed acting aggressively prior to WW1; this behaviour from Germany cannot be seen as the only means of provoking WW1. Rather the hostility of the European alliances and the elevating tensions originating from the Balkan crisis were fundamental in causing a general war in 1914. The growing resentment between Austria and Russia over the ambiguous state of the Balkans inevitably caused these Powers to call upon their respective allies for support, especially Germany and France, once the Serbian ultimatum was rejected in July 1914. Although the Naval race between Britain and Germany provided them with a navy strong enough to withstand war, the mounting conflict amongst their allies undeniably led them into declarations of war. Therefore, despite the guilt placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles and historians like Fritz Fischer; German aggression was a minor contributor to starting war compared with the animosity created by the European alliances and the Balkan crisis.