Armaments and the Coming of War

The global impact of the First World War dominated the history of the first half of the twentieth century. This major reassessment of the origins of the war, based on extensive original research in several countries, is the first full analysis of the politics of armaments in pre-1914 Europe. David Stevenson directs attention away from the Anglo-German naval race towards the competition on land between the continental armies. He analyses the defence policies of the Powers, and the interaction between the growth of military preparedness and the diplomatic crises in the Mediterranean and the Balkans that culminated in the events of July-August 1914. Drawing on insights from political science, the book offers a fresh conceptual framework for the origins of the First World War, and provides a thought-provoking case-study of the broader relationships between armaments and international conflict.

"This important study is a mandatory acquisition for libraries with serious collections on the 20th century."--Choice
"A short review cannot do full justice to the thoroughness of Stevenson's arguments or his careful integration of diplomatic analysis with the consequent military and budget decision processes. This volume deserves the widest possible circulation...It provides a set of key understandings about the road to war in the age of 1914, or in 1997."--Journal of Military History
."..enhances and clarifies our understanding of the devastating decisions reached in July 1914."--American Historical Review
"Stevenson's book...is one that specialists cannot afford to miss....the account is rigorous, detailed, and demanding, yet consistently readable and clear."--The Key Reporter