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Kaiser Wilhelm II's Analysis

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The ringing of the first gun shot on June 28 of 1914 had sent mass crowds around Europe into raptures. These people rejoiced in glee as they voiced their approval for the declaration of war by filling the air with roars of enthusiasm. Four years forward, loud cheers turned into moans of agony as the world walked along a path of pure atrocity. What did the world actually witness and how was the harbinger of destruction conceived? The notion of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s war-mongering attitude operating as the powder-keg for the outbreak of war is very popular among historians. Kaiser Wilhelm II’s actions had either made the situation in Europe more complex or it played a direct role in eroding political stability (Waugh, 2001). He was driven by the motive to secure Germany’s place ‘in the sun’ (Chinn, 2014). This desire had urged the newly crowned Kaiser to adopt a more aggressive foreign policy, known as ‘Weltpolitik’, as well as encouraging him to /dismiss Germany’s guardian of peace, Chancellor Bismarck (Chinn, 2014). These moves paved the way for Kaiser Wilhelm II to challenge and rile his French and British foes. For instance, the Kaiser had nearly instigated war between Germany and Britain when he labelled the British as ‘mad men’ during an …show more content…

It is touted as the main reason behind the increment in rivalry amongst European nations (Waugh, 2001). The arms race should indeed shoulder some blame for igniting war as it led to the mobilizing and production of armies and weapons on an unprecedented scale. This made war inevitable because nations could not simply dispose all the weapons which they have produced. Russia’s conscripting of over one million men could be used to illustrate this theory (Waugh, 2009). Had the Russians opted against war, where would all these men go? Bearing this in mind, it is not a mystery as to why did everyone resort to

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The German government: Instable and “You take it from me, we are losing the war because we can salute too well” ( Remarque 40 ) . This quotation from the book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque stands in representation for the symbol of questioning the decisions of a government. This book shows how a government may not be making decisions regarding war that are in the best interests of the people. The German government was in a time of struggle and despair during the times of World War I (1912-1918). The instability and false trustworthiness of the German government in the time period of 1910-1930 fed the feelings and themes from the book All Quiet on the Western Front.

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The Guns of August Barbara Tuchman The Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Guns of August, written by Barbara W. Tuchman in 1963 is one of the most recognized books on the Great War. World War One was to be the war to end all wars but at its demise resulted in more problems than before the war began. The world had metamorphosed from an agricultural farmland, to a booming industrial factory, the likes the world has never imagined. The Congress of Vienna subdued most conflict, as the years between 1815-1914 stayed relatively away from major conflicts. But the small conflicts that did occur helped build up tensions.

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Militarism, the glorification of the military, affected most of Europe at the turn of the twentieth century as demonstrated by Documents 1 and 7. Military spending in three of the major powers in Europe, Great Britain, France, and Germany, more than doubled per capita from 1870 to 1914, according to Document 1. Great Britian and Germany in particular were involved in an arms race with each other. Germany attempted to build a navy to rival Great Britian’s, whose navy was considered the best in the world at the time, and Great Britian responded by improving on their own navy. In the rest of Europe, countries were building up their stores of weapons, including rifles, bombs, and artillery, causing international

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Wilson 's declaration of war expresses that Germany was threat to the world. They planned to turn everyone’s government to their own. There were many ways they tried to take control and some of which are German spies and submarine warfare. Germany used spies to keep an eye on the other county and do to this many countries became worried that their freedom was being stolen. Germany struck fear into people and threatened democracy because of their controlling nature with other countries.

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Ernst Junger’s account of World War I subtly produces a mood of remorse among his audience through his formation of description. Most of his book contains lucid images, lacking any symbolic language. His pragmatic diction and syntax structure a story almost devoid of emotion. Junger punctuates his writing with frequent fragments and brusque sentences that highlight the vicious reality of war (47). As he recounts the deaths of his fellow soldiers with a chilling tone, he appears to be unfazed by the brutalities around him (52).

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The great critic and supporter of Great Britain President Franklin Roosevelt, at one of his “fireside chats” speaks about the problems of discord and disillusionment from WWI. The aim from the groups that tried to bring discord and disillusionment was to create confusion, indecisiveness and eventually a state of panic regarding America entering WWII. Roosevelt states, “new forces are being unleashed, deliberately planned propaganda to divide and

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Before World War I, all of Europe in 1914, was tense and like a bomb or a fire was waiting to erupt. Europe had not seen a major war in years, but due to Militarism, Imperialism, Alliances, and Nationalism tensions grew high. Each country was competing to be the best by gaining more territory and growing in their military size and successful economies. World War 1 was waiting to happen and the assassination of the Archduke was the spark that lit Europe up. In All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque we see the effects of the assassination.

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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many long-term and short-term causes led to World War I, which engrossed the entire globe. Based on the historical evidence presented, one can conclude that the following were all causes of World War I: militarism, alliances, territory issues, nationalism, tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, and the view that war was simply unavoidable. During this time period, many countries were becoming more aggressive militarily by strengthening their militaries. The chart shows that Great Britain, France, and Germany had the highest per capita expenditures on armaments, but all nations had nonetheless increased expenditures (doc 10).

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I found the concept of Germany “stabbing” its army in the back to be very interesting. It is apparent in both Paul von Hindenburg’s Testimony before the Parliamentary Investigatory Committee and the epilogue of General Ludendorff’s War Memories. Both are very dramatic in the language and tones that they use. Neither show evidence of taking any part of the blame for Germany’s defeat. In both of these readings the government is the blame for Germany’s severe loss.

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In the beginning of 1914, the countries were drawn into a state of tension, and it was unknown whether the world’s nations would clash. Militarism caused many countries to fund the armies, and they began to believe that violence was the answer. Imperialism forced countries to fight over land and resources, and Russia’s Pan Slavism belief led to the clenched fists of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. It was in due time that a tipping point in history would result in the start of the world war. Following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, countries were thrown into chaos and the First World War began.

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At the outbreak of WWI, other than France, no major European power had been defeated in war for decades and Europe had enjoyed relative peace (Rockoff, 102). The general population was unaffected by small-battles fought in faraway colonies and grew indifferent to war. This indifference to war, along with the arms race, and rousing speeches about the greatness of their respective nations contributed to a growing delusion of

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World War 1 was the first global conflict as it was a struggle between the leading world powers in Europe that had colonised the 19th century. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Bosnia, heir to the Austrian-Hungary throne was a major trigger factor that led to the World War breaking out. It initially began as a European quarrel caused by the rivalry between nations which led to a series of mobilisations. In addition, there were many other vital factors to consider and these include Imperialism, Nationalism, Alliances and Militarism. This essay will explain how the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914 triggered a number of events that led to the outbreak of World War 1.

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62 Words | 1 Pages

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the ruler of Germany from June 1888 until 1918, when they were defeated in World War I. He is considered the individual most responsible for the outbreak of war. Wilhelm II’s ambitious and aggressive leadership was a critical factor in the war.  His imperialistic and nationalistic agenda in the late 1800s and early 1900s fuelled pre-war diplomatic tensions.

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891 Words | 4 Pages

World War I, referred to as the Great War, is depicted tragically, but no less accurately, by “All Quiet on the Western Front.” In detail, the film accurately portrays the horrific realities of World War I. During the Great War, government propaganda manipulated civilians’ thoughts, which led them to believe that the war was worth fighting for, and thus convinced individuals to go to war. “All Quiet on the Western Front” begins by painting a picture in which a professor teaching Paul and his classmates emphasizes on how the war is in need of men of character and strong will, who will triumph as brave heroes. Moving on, the professor, imbued with admiration, exclaims that Germany is a country of success which needs their help, which is used

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