How would I structure an introduction to the essay question: 'To What Extent Was German Aggression the Most Important Cause of the First World War?'

The aim of the introduction is to indicate the direction your essay will take and demonstrate to the examiner that you are going to meet the criteria of the mark scheme. An immediate overview of the First World War and why the question is important will show immediately that you understand what you are doing.   An example might be: ‘The First World War (1914-18) was one of the bloodiest and most complex conflicts in European history. As a result, the question of responsibility has always been controversial.’ It is then useful to show knowledge on one side of the question to indicate the views you will be discussing in the essay.  An example might be: ‘There is some evidence for German responsibility: they were the first to mobilise and took numerous aggressive actions prior to the war, such as, during the Moroccan crisis.’ To show that you are fulfilling the next part of the mark scheme it is important to then start evaluating the main causes. For instance, it might be useful to start this section with a statement, such as, ‘However, German aggression could not have been the main cause…’ In order to propose a good evaluation of the causes of the war, there need to be reasons for (or a criterion of) why some causes are more significant than others.  An example might be ‘However, German aggression could not have been the main cause because this stemmed from the chronologically prior cause of fear of encirclement.’ Finally, you should hint at the judgement/conclusion you will make at the end of your essay to signal to the examiner where the essay is going. For example, ‘In the end, war resulted more from the problems of international rivalry than the aggression of any single country.’