ABSTRACT

It can be argued persuasively that the First World War was a struggle for mastery between rival empires driven by economic and strategic concerns: that it was, in short, a war waiting to happen. Proponents of that view can point to the string of crises from1900 onwardswhich threatened to bringBritain, France andGermany, in particular, into conflict, and the tension generated by Anglo-German naval rivalry. None of these crises, however, had actually led to war. Indeed, many of the points at issue either had been resolved or were well on the way to being resolved by the end of 1913, although the underlying animosities and suspicions certainly remained, as was witnessed by the enthusiasm with which the outbreak of war was to be received in Berlin, London and Paris. Nevertheless, the war which actually materialised was triggered by specifically Balkan rivalries and tensions.