Synthesizing the latest scholarship, acclaimed military historian Gary Sheffield cuts to the heart of the conflict that involved every major economic power in the world. With an emphasis on the Western Front, Sheffield explores such key issues as the causes of war; the search for peace and the peace settlements; the political, social, and economic consequences; the impact of “total war" on the war efforts of the belligerents; and the place of the War in the history of warfare. Accessible and incisive, this is the ultimate introduction for anyone wanting a clear understanding of what happened a.

Cover; Praise for ''A Short History of the First World War''; About the Author; Title Page; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; List of Illustrations and Maps; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1 The Coming of War; Was anyone guilty?; The rise of German power; The key role of Austria-Hungary; The July Crisis; The Fischer debate; Germany's prophylactic war?; The role of Russia and France; British entry into the war; The verdict; 2 From Clash of Arms to Stalemate, 1914-15; Western Front 19141; Eastern Front 1914; Serbian Campaign 1914; War at sea 1914-1514; Western Front 1915; Eastern Front 1915. Turkish Fronts 1914-15Italian, Serbian and Salonika Fronts 1915; 3 1916: The War Intensifies; Western Front 1916; The Battle of Verdun; The Battle of the Somme; Eastern Front 1916; Italian and Balkan Fronts 1916; Turkish Fronts 1916; The weary stalemate; 4 The Year of Strain: 1917; Western Front 1917; Third Battle of Ypres; Cambrai; Eastern Front 1917; Italian and Balkan Fronts 1917; Ottoman Fronts 1917; War at sea 1917-18; 5 1918: Crisis and Decision; Western Front 1918; The turning points: the Second Battle of the Marne and the Battle of Amiens; The Hundred Days; The Grand Offensive. Italian and Balkan Fronts 1918Ottoman Fronts 1918; 6 Total War; Casualties; Refugees and atrocities; The 'Spirit of 1914'?; Adjusting to war; Voluntarism; The emergence of total war economies; Food supply; 1917-18: revolution in Russia, re-mobilisation in Britain and France; The failed search for a compromise peace; Epilogue: The Aftermath of the War; The Treaty of Versailles and its consequences; The short twentieth century; Democracy survives and fails: Britain, Germany, Italy; Legacies of war outside Europe; The second great war10; A world transformed; Further Reading; General books. Specialist studiesEndnotes; Timeline; Index.