Summary of Outbreak of the First World War

Outbreak of the First World War by Mary Seacole examines the major factors contributing to the beginning of the Great War, which began in July 1914. Seacole examines multiple international incidents, alliances, and grievances that caused tensions to rise prior to and leading up to the war. The book proposes the idea that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was merely the spark that lit the blaze of a conflict which had been long in the making. Themes of nationalism, imperialism, and militarism are discussed, alongside their cultural, economic, and political implications. Seacole ends with an analysis of the high hopes of a quick resolution to the conflict in 1914, as well as an analysis of how the war changed the world in its bloody wake.