Essay
Germany (Prussian) Responsibility in World War 1
The common opinion is that Germany was completely responsible for the outbreak of
World War One in 1914. It’s true to some degree but not to the degree a lot of people believe, the
road leading to World War One began in 1870, in which Franco-Prussian War declared. This War
led to the unification of a powerful and dynamic Germany from the principality and small
kingdoms, which threatened too many great powers, as the potency of unbalance of power in
Europe. France was defeated, humiliated and isolated in this war, resulting in Germany obtaining
French territory of Alsace-Lorraine. This alone already created tensions between France and
Germany, as it was a bitter blow to the French. France was determined to acquire Alsace-Lorraine
or in German Elsass-Lothringen back, and even created an offensive plan, the Plan XVII created
by Joffre in 1913, which eventually never used due to it neither being financially nor militarily
supported. France could not afford another war, yet were still irritated by this defeat, creating great
tensions between Germany and France, which may have provoked the First World War.
