World War I is as complex subject to study and thick volumes have been written on the Great War, only to scratch the surface of this monumental event in world history. When I decided I wanted to write a book about World War I, I wanted to keep it concise, easy-to-read and yet comprehensive and thought-provoking. “World War I: The Unraveling of the World” is not officially an installment of the High Point History Series but the “hitting the high points” style that set “American History 1754-1945” apart is present and powerful in World War I.
One important aspect of World War I is the emphasis placed on the causes and consequences of the First World War. World War I was a conflict rooted in a train-wreck ideology that dominated parts of Europe on the eve of 1914. The ideology of Social Darwinism (or Darwinism in general) sowed the seeds of cultural superiority complexes, intense rivalry and cut-throat competition and the emergence of the notion that World War I was a war fought for national survival. Most historians will tell you that World War I was caused by a faulty alliance system, nationalism or an arms race but these were simply manifestations of an ideological phenomenon that had carried Europe to war by 1914. World War I emphasizes this underlying ideological reality while not neglecting the political and military factors in the prelude to war. Chapter 1 (Prologue) covers the causes of World War I including Social Darwinism, German militarism, Serb nationalism and the continental context of the most defining event of the Twentieth Century.
World War I: The Unraveling of the World also familiarizes the reader with the military events of the Great War. From the invasion of Belgium to the German Spring Offensives, readers will learn about the great battles, campaigns and turning tides of the “War to End All Wars”. Readers are also introduced to life behind the front lines and the enormous impact that World War I had on society and the home front. In Chapter 4 (Total War), the home front as well as the war on sea and in the air is examined.
Chapter 8 (Epilogue) draws the book to a thought-provoking close by exploring the deep impact left by World War I. The aftermath of the conflict in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States is examined and the long shadow of the First World War is critically reviewed.
All in all, World War I: The Unraveling of the World seeks to deliver what so many readers of World War I history desire: a concise yet comprehensive account of the First World War. The high points of this great catastrophe are hit and explained in this little book.