The

The The question of why Britain went to war in the summer of 1914 is one of the most important in modern history.

It is significant because once it made the decision, its empire was never the same again. It is significant because, at the time, very few in Britain either desired or expected war.

It is significant because if it had not made the decision to go to war, the world we live in today would be a very, very different place.

It is significant because the series of events that occurred before 1914,

while appearing to us to have led Britain to war in some respects,

could just as easily have been viewed as disparate events

with no connection to the course the

British history eventually took.

It is significant because, as a question, it is one of the hardest answers for a number

of reasons, not least because it is so enmeshed in the other questions surrounding other

countries in 1914 and their decisions to go to war.

It is significant because, as a decision, it was so distinctly un-British, if we take into account

the previous years of British foreign policy and Britain's isolation from continental affairs.

Despite its importance, though, answering the question has been the subject of surprisingly few works.

With notable exceptions found in the exceptional books and articles that I've had the pleasure of reading,

Britain in 1914 has not been the subject of as many studies as one would think, considering its

significance on world history. To appreciate its significance and importance as a question,

it helps to imagine not having to answer it. In other words, what would have happened had Britain

not gone to war in 1914? Would there even have been a First World War at all, what would have happened had Britain not gone to war in 1914?

Would there even have been a First World War at all, or would it have been merely seen as an extension of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870?

A foolish escalation of a rivalry that Europe couldn't possibly contain?

...