1914: The Year the World Ended

Explore the pivotal events that defined a century with '1914: The Year the World Ended'. This compelling account by acclaimed historian Paul Ham delves into the intricate web of alliances, power struggles, and catastrophic decisions that led to World War I, casting a long shadow on history. With 736 pages of meticulously researched narratives, this book provides a multi-perspective exploration of the outbreak of the Great War, encompassing German, British, French, Austria-Hungarian, Russian, and Serbian viewpoints. Ham effectively debunks prevalent myths, challenging the notion that leaders inadvertently stumbled into conflict. Instead, he reveals their calculated acceptance of war, risking millions of lives for their ambitions. Discover the long-term consequences of 1914, including the Russian Revolution, the Treaty of Versailles, and the rise of future conflicts like Nazism and the Cold War. This book is essential for history enthusiasts and those wishing to understand the complexities of world politics and society's transformation during one of the most chaotic periods in human history. With its engaging narrative and critical insights, '1914: The Year the World Ended' is a must-have addition to your historical collection. Enjoy FREE shipping on this enlightening read and delve into the history that changed the globe forever.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781864711424
Format: Paper over boards
Year: 2013
Publisher: RANDOM HOUSE AUSTRALIA
Pages: 736


Description:
Few years can justly be said to have transformed the earth- 1914 did.In July that year, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Britain and France were poised to plunge the world into a war that would kill or wound 37 million people, tear down the fabric of society, uproot ancient political systems and set the course for the bloodiest century in human history.In the longer run, the events of 1914 set the world on the path toward the Russian Revolution, the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of Nazism and the Cold War.In 1914- The Year the World Ended, award-winning historian Paul Ham tells the story of the outbreak of the Great War from German, British, French, Austria-Hungarian, Russian and Serbian perspectives.Along the way, he debunks several stubborn myths.European leaders, for example, did not stumble or 'sleepwalk? into war, as many suppose. They fully understood that a small conflict in the Balkans - the tinderbox at the heart of the continent - could spark a European war. They well knew what their weapons could do.Yet they carried on. They accepted - and, in some cases, even seemed to relish - what they saw as an inevitable clash of arms. They planned and mapped every station on the path to oblivion. These pied pipers of the apocalypse chose war in the full knowledge that millions would follow, and die, on their orders.1914- The Year the World Ended seeks to answer the most vexing question of the 20th century- Why did European governments decide to condemn the best part of a generation of young men to the trenches and four years of slaughter, during which 8.5 million would die?

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