The First World War: A Concise Global History (Exploring World History)
This narrative history of the Great War will better inform general readers concerning the causes and effects of the conflict, which continues to shape the destinies of millions of people across the world. History professor Storey’s account follows the conventional path, from the tragic miscalculations preceding the outbreak of fighting to the horrors of stalemate and trench warfare to the fatally flawed “peace” conference in Paris in 1919. This is, by definition, not a comprehensive history, but Storey offers some fresh perspectives that make this survey interesting and useful. Although historians often view the conflict as a “European civil war,” Storey convincingly asserts that, considering the long-term effects, it truly was a world war, one in which the faith of many Western nations in concepts such as nationalism and technological progress was badly shaken. In areas ruled by Europeans in Asia and Africa, the war stimulated an upsurge in national aspirations for independence. Storey also shows how the war fundamentally altered social relations in participating nations, with consequences for demography, gender roles, and politics. This is a well-written, easily digestible examination of a seminal conflict. --Jay Freeman--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.