Fritz Fischer's Aims In The First World War

The origins of the first world war has been debated indefinitely, and with great controversy. Fritz Fischer, dubbed the “the most important German historian of the 20th century”, argues that the responsibility for starting the war should rest solely on the shoulders of Germany, as their actions were carried out with the goal of world domination., Fischer’s argument has been openly criticised by two modern historians, Niall Ferguson and Sean McMeekin, who insist Fischer’s claims display personal bias and inaccuracy due to his approach and limited consideration of other forces of the war. Through their own works, they each bring a different perspective on the origins of the war, allowing readers to gain a deeper and more well-rounded understanding
Fischers Germany’s Aims in the First World War delivers an argument heavily focused on the actions and decisions of the German government leading up to the war, claiming Germany’s actions as the sole cause of the war, a claim that reinforces the War Guilt Clause, and challenges the consensus that one nation was not to blame. He insisted that Austria’s hasty and risky decisions against Serbia, and fear of losing her honour and “position among the great powers”, were augmented from pressure exerted by the German government and their trust in Germany’s military power. In addition, Fischer states that Germany’s aim from the beginning was a continental war, arguing that Germany seeked to “split the Entente” and gain power over Europe through a “grouping of forces both in the Balkans and the Mediterranean”. Fischer implements a hefty amount of primary sources in order to support his claims, such as official documents, telegrams, diary entries, and letters. These sources assure authenticity and reliability and give readers direct insight into the thoughts and intentions of important figures of the event. However, Fischer displays a problematic lack of consideration and attention towards the other nations involved during the time. His sole focus is on Germany and the importance of the other nations’ actions take a back seat. This
In his book The Russian Origins of the First World War, published in 2011, he argues that Russia’s behaviour preceding the war was suspicious as per the lack of recorded information and convenient absences of important figures during crucial events, such as the French presidential summit and the assassination of the Archduke. He notes that Russia knew a war was coming, and was well ahead of preparing for it, pointing towards evidence suggesting Russia knew of Austria’s plans concerning Serbia and placing considerable emphasis on the speed and magnitude of Russia’s “period preparatory to war”, which, to the other nations, “looked like mobilisation”. McMeekin’s argument is backed by an extensive amount of primary sources, however, he is prone to drawing conclusions from seemingly small and unimpressive pieces of information, such as suggesting Russia was preparing for war because the wife of Grand Duke Nicholas stated “there’s going to be a war”, which, while not impossible, is weak nonetheless and too unconvincing to strengthen his argument. He also presented instances where his objectivity wavered, describing Germany as “foolish” and the Schlieffen Plan as “dead weight”, clearly letting his personal opinions affect the impartiality of his argument. Nonetheless,