National Perspectives
The "outbreak" of World War One
Analysis of the topic "Start of World War One“ by using two German popular history magazines
Was World War One an inevitable consequence of the Sarajevo assassination or could the resulting crisis have been solved in a peaceful way? The different views of German history magazines are analysed in the following part, developing different interpretations by the use of the following magazines: GEO-EPOCHE (2004), DAMALS (2004) well as G/Geschichte (2007).
The comparative analysis of different explanatory models should contradict a mono-causal way of contemplating the historical events. Furthermore, the different interpretations are supposed to be understood as differing views of research, showing that there is no single national view of an event. (Even though national tendencies may exist in the respective narrations).
Tasks
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1
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We are often confronted by World War One in movies, books, obviously in school as well as in history magazines:
a. What have you already heard about the “outbreak” of World War One? b. How did you get this information? From your parents, museums, movies, comics or any other source? Add additional hints to your notes. c. Why is this topic still of relevance? Explain your opinion. |
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2
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Start of World War One: "Chain reactions", "fatal interplay", "culpable failure" or "calculated strategy"? a. The Swedish article, considered more precisely within the international comparison, raises the question in the headline: “World War One – an inevitable catastrophe?” For this purpose, compare the article´s headlines and leads of G/Geschichte (2007), GEO-EPOCHE (2004) and DAMALS (2004). How is the path to war described and interpreted? Take notes of the differences. |
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3
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Compare to your textbook: How is the start of World War One described?
a. Check, how your textbook describes the beginning of World War One and how the question of the German guilt is discussed?
b. Compare these results with those you got from exercise two. |
Tasks
The comparative analysis of different explanatory models should contradict a mono-causal way of contemplating the historical events. Furthermore, the different interpretations are supposed to be understood as differing views of research, showing that there is no single national view of an event. (Even though national tendencies may exist in the respective narrations).
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1
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We are often confronted by World War One in movies, books, obviously in school as well as in history magazines:
a. What have you already heard about the “outbreak” of World War One? b. How did you get this information? From your parents, museums, movies, comics or any other source? Add additional hints to your notes.
c. Why is this topic still of
relevance? Explain your opinion. |
|
2
|
Start of World War One: "Chain reactions", "fatal interplay", "culpable failure" or "calculated strategy"? a. The Swedish article, considered more precisely within the international comparison, raises the question in the headline: “Word War One – an inevitable catastrophe?” For this purpose, compare the article´s headlines and leads of G/Geschichte (2007), GEO-EPOCHE (2004) and DAMALS (2004). How is the path to war described and interpreted? Take notes of the differences.
DAMALS (2004): The title “weeks of decision” ("Wochen der Entscheidung") clarifies the availability of a range of solutions and herewith explains that the path to the war was no inevitable process.
GEO-EPOCHE (2004): GEO-EPOCHE interprets the events as “disastrous interplay between threats and oaths of assistance” and therefore indicates the event of the assassination being used as an excuse to start war by military forces (of all countries?), whereas the politicians and monarchs (of all countries?) hesitated and let themselves push into war – simultaneously being frightened by the idea that the enemy could preempt a possible attack. G/Geschichte (2007): In “How the world slides into war” the situation can rather be seen to be out of control and the war was inevitable. “Sliding” was the preferred description of those historians and textbooks rejecting the accusations the Germans were confronted with in the Treaty of Versailles. In the descriptions stated, you will find different views of research about the question, whether the start of World War One could have been inevitable or not.
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3
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Compare to your textbook: How is the start of World War One described?
a. Check, how your textbook describes the beginning of World War One and how the question of the German guilt is discussed?
German textbooks reflect periodically the controversy of Fischer, showing different views of research concerning the question about the guilt of war and providing tasks there too.
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