In June 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand tripped a diplomatic crisis that quickly spiraled towards war. A network of overlapping alliances, triggered by the hostilities, led one nation after another into the fray. By July, nearly all the great powers of Europe were at war.
How did the complex network of alliances arise in the first place? How did industrial and scientific advancements contribute to making this one of the bloodiest wars in human history? Could the war have been avoided?
This webinar features Joseph Loconte, Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation and Senior Fellow in Christianity and Culture at The King's College in New York City; Hew Strachan, Professor of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews and Emeritus Fellow at All Souls College; and Jay Winter, Charles J. Stille Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University. You may find a list of their publications here.