A fundamental reassessment of how Germany lost the First World War. Using diaries, letters and memoirs of key actors and decision-makers, Holger Afflerbach reveals the internal power struggles in Germany and how they influenced decisively the outcome of the war. The book shows that the war could have gone the other way.
Exploring the connections between the Great War and the cultural and political landscape of the long 19th century, this volume challenges conventional beliefs about the causes of World War I. It delves into the short- and long-term factors that contributed to this monumental conflict, questioning the widely held idea of its inevitability. By examining the war's roots, the book sheds light on how it set the stage for significant political movements like Italian Fascism, German National Socialism, and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism.