Matthieu Santerre

World War I Matthieu Santerre

The aim of this very short book is to demonstrate that in 1914 Germany blundered into an unplanned war. In the summer of 1914, Germany did not want a world war. In fact, in the summer of 1914, few could have predicted a general war characterised by industrial slaughter. It would be a falsehood to say that any individual or state wanted the chaos and destruction that we know recognise, with the hindsight of history, as the Great War. The Concert of Europe, a consensus among European powers that called for diplomatic consultation to preserve the status quo, had prevented a general war during previous crises. In 1914 it failed. The Great Powers, by their inaction and blindness, escalated a crisis until it turned into a conflict. Germany played a pivotal role in this escalation. This is an established fact that I do not seek to challenge. Yet, in no way did German decision-makers premeditate a coherent, objective driven war.