Primary Source
The Entry from the Diary of Georg Alexander von Müller from December 1912 is an important primary document for examining the degree to which Germany was to blame for World War I. Its origin may be traced back to December 1912, when it was drafted as a private document for the War Council, two years prior to the beginning of the war (von Müller, 1912). The excerpt reveals the German chancellor’s conviction that aggressive expansionist policies are necessary to ensure Germany’s future well-being and stability.
The purpose of the document was to explain why Germany’s actions and constant military presence were necessary. The document’s content involves Germany’s primary political and military objectives, such as expanding into uncharted parts of Africa and Europe, creating a German-dominated industrial zone in Europe, and beefing up the country’s armed forces. The value of this source is that it shows that Germany was pursuing a violent expansionist agenda before World War I. The record also demonstrates that top German officials knew their actions might spark a global conflict. Considering the sensitive nature of the memorandum, it is impossible to know how broadly it was disseminated among the German government and military, which can be viewed as a limitation.
Secondary Source
James Joll’s The Origins of the First World War is an appropriate secondary source for the topic. The book can be considered a reputable historical treatise from 2006 that explores a plethora of political and diplomatic tensions that sparked World War I, which stands for its origin (Joll, 2006). The purpose is to give an in-depth examination of the circumstances that precipitated the launch of the military campaigns.
The forceful foreign policy of Germany, the complicated structure of the alliances that united the powers, and the multiple crises, consequently leading to the conflict, are the issues comprising the source’s content. The value of The Origins of the First World War is that it delves into the numerous political and diplomatic causes that contributed to the escalation of hostilities. However, the book’s limited scope is due to its emphasis on these political and diplomatic considerations rather than the more complex interplay of socio-economic and cultural elements that may have triggered hostilities.
References
Joll, James. 2006. The Origins of the First World War (3rd Ed.). New York: Routledge.
von Müller, Alexander. 1912. Entry from the Diary of Georg Alexander von Müller. German History in Documents and Images. Web.