The Origins of the First World War - (Documents in Modern History) Annotated by Annika Mombauer (Paperback)

About the Book

A unique collection of hundreds of diplomatic and military documents on the origins of WWI: newly-discovered archival sources as well as documents not previously available in English. It includes a comprehensive scholarly introduction covering the most controversial issues in the debate on the origins of WWI on the eve of the centenary.

Book Synopsis

Annika Mombauer's essential source reader translates, cross-references and annotates a vast range of international diplomatic and military documents on the origins of the First World War. It collects together documents which are newly discovered or were not previously available in English, drawn from a broad range of sources and countries into a single, indispensible text for students and scholars alike.

The volume includes a detailed scholarly introduction which analyses the most controversial issues in the debate on the origins of the War and provides a comprehensive overview of the history of document collections on the war's origins. The documents cover the period 1911-14, with particular emphasis on the July Crisis and immediate outbreak of war. Thoroughly cross-referenced and annotated, these fascinating sources are presented with authoritative commentary, enabling readers to make connections between the documents to illuminate how the decisions for war were taken, and why.

This will be an invaluable resource for anyone studying or teaching the origins of the First World War.

From the Back Cover

This book is a unique collection of diplomatic and military documents which illuminate the origins of the First World War. It brings together newly-discovered archival sources as well as documents not previously available in English, drawn from a broad range of sources and countries. It is an essential collection for anyone studying the origins of the First World War.

The volume contains several hundred international documents for the years 1911-1914, selected because they are vital to understanding the origins of the war. The volume includes a comprehensive scholarly introduction which analyses the most controversial issues in the debate on the origins of the First World War on the eve of the centenary. It also provides a detailed overview of the history of official document publications on the diplomatic background to the outbreak of war, and places these within the context of the long historiographical debate on its origins.

The First World War continues to fascinate scholars, students and the general public, and the riddle of its origins has never been satisfactorily solved. Anyone studying the outbreak of the war will find this collection indispensible. Documents are an essential tool for historical study, particularly for this controversial topic about which historians have argued for the best part of a century. The documents in this volume are thoroughly cross-referenced and annotated, and presented with authoritative commentary. This allows readers to make connections between the documents to illuminate how the decisions for war were made, and why.

Review Quotes

Mombauer's expertise and skillful annotation makes this diverse, translated collection a valuable contribution to the historiography and an essential volume for Great War specialists. Features such as a glossary of names provide information on the roles of the key figures writing and receiving the documents and make the collection more accessible for nonspecialists as well.

Anika Mombauer is an authority on the origins and opening phases of the First World War.

This collection of documents will be useful to specialists in diplomatic and military history of the First World War period, as well as instructors and students who seek convenient access to a cross-section of primary material on the origins of First World War.

About the Author

Annika Mombauer is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at the Open University