Origins of the World War

Sidney Bradshaw Fay, a U.S. historian, challenged the notion that Germany alone was responsible for World War I in his influential work, Origins of the World War (1928). Fay's research into previously unexamined archives led him to propose a thesis of collective responsibility.1

He argued that the war's origins stemmed from multiple factors: Serbia's role in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary's demands, German support for Austria-Hungary, Russia's mobilization, and French and English compliance with Russia. Fay's work significantly altered post-war perceptions of Germany's culpability.1

The broader context of World War I's origins involves complex long-term causes such as militarism, imperialism, nationalism, and the alliance systems that divided Europe. The assassination in Sarajevo acted as the spark that ignited these underlying tensions.23