What were the origins of the First World War?

Points that student should remember before answering this question:

• Historiography and historical debate

• Argumentation + essay structure

• Be confident in your argument

• Point, explanation, proof

The origins of the First World War is a question that has been hotly debated by historians -- today there is still no consensus over the Great War's causation. The debate was triggered in 1919 when the Germans were forced to accept full reponsibility for the War as part of the 'War Guilt clause' of the Treaty of Versailles. In the next few decades, 'Revisionist' historians sought to alleviate the burden of Germany's guilt and pointed to the role of the Entente states, domestic policy, the international alliance structure and the forces of imperialism and nationalism that had swept over Europe at the turn of the century. In 1961, German historian Franz Fischer presented his extremely controversial theory that the Germans had sought out a major continental conflict. Recent works such as that of Chris Clarke's 'Sleepwalkers' and Margaret Macmillan, emphasise the role of Serbian nationalism, the Great Powers' waning imperial influence and Russia's militarisation programme.

In order to best answer this question, students should aim to answer thematically and avoid a narration of events leading up to the 1914 July Crisis. Themes to consider:

• Militarisation and Arms Race (e.g. Russia's Great Programme, France's construction of fortresses on border with Germany, German-British naval antagonism)

• Imperialism and Colonisation (e.g. Last land grabs of 19th Century, the Decline of the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires)

• Nationalism and a rhetoric of national chivalry (e.g. South Slavic nationalism, Kaiser's actions)

• Domestic Policy (e.g. Russian Revolution 1905, Labour movements in UK, France and Germany, the Rise of Socialism)