Peace Comes to an End: The Road to 1914 Author: [Canada] Margaret Macmillan Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press

※ The latest explanation of the origin of the First World War, asking "the responsibility for the war" rather than "the guilt of the war"

Was Kaiser Wilhelm II to blame for the war?

Are the Allies solely responsible for the outbreak of the war?

The war was caused by alliances, arms races, and secret diplomacy?

Based on the latest open archives and documentary materials, "Peace Comes to an End" provides a new explanation for the origins of the First World War: Macmillan does not talk about the "guilt" of the war, she shows the political and economic environment in which a few leaders who made decisions were in, as well as their psychological motivations. No one deliberately created a European war, but the leaders of each country were "responsible" for the war.

※ Accurate empathy, delicate scrutiny, enter the hearts of powerful people in the great changes, and take a peek at their entanglements and desires

In Germany, there was the mercurial Kaiser Wilhelm II and Chief of the General Staff Moltke the Younger;

In Austria-Hungary, Emperor Franz Joseph tried to delay the impending chaos of the empire through sheer effort;

In Russia, there was Tsar Nicholas II and his wife;

In Britain, King Edward VII, Prime Minister Asquith, and Admiral Fisher, who actively advocated an arms race with Germany;

Together they pushed the European continent into a confrontation on land and sea…

※ Rediscover the flame of hope. There was once a strong force to maintain peace in troubled times.

Alfred Nobel, who donated his fortune to promoting understanding among nations;

writer and activist Zutner, the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize;

And the urbane cosmopolitan Count Harry Kessler, who noticed many early signs that something exciting was happening in Europe…

※ 20 political cartoons and 37 historical photos present the prosperity and undercurrents of Europe before the war

The influence of public opinion is growing, and the mass media is fanning the flames.

Nationalism is on the rise, and suspicion and mistrust between nations are growing...

With the help of satirical cartoons and live photos of the time,

Visit the historical scene in person, feel the atmosphere and emotions before the war, and feel the texture and temperature of history.

※ The New York Times Book Review and The Economist's best book of the year, a new work by Oxford University's authoritative historian Macmillan

Wonderful! "Peace Stops" will become a classic of the century. There are many different opinions about the origins of the First World War. Macmillan cleverly controlled the turbulent trends and countercurrents in the decades before the war and solved all the problems with meticulous observation.

——The Economist

A huge and authoritative panorama... a vivid and detailed account of the international crisis that rocked Europe before the war... Macmillan records that turbulent era with both humor and compassion. She argues that historians should not judge but understand. As Macmillan says in the epilogue, "There is always a choice."

——London Review of Books

"Peace Stops" tells the story of how smart, well-intentioned leaders led their nations into disaster. The most gifted historian of our time provides a brilliant account of these epic events, and she warns us of the dangers that arise when we fail to foresee the consequences of our actions. This is one of the best books I have ever read about the causes of World War I.

—Madeleine Albright, 64th U.S. Secretary of State

◎ Introduction

Today’s world resembles Europe before World War I;

It would be easy, but dangerous, to throw up our hands and say that a major war is inevitable.

How did Europe get to a point in the summer of 1914 when war was more likely than peace? What were the decision-makers thinking as they acted? Why didn’t they pull back as they might have done previously? Or, to put it another way, why did peace come to an abrupt end?

When the war finally came, everyone was shocked; but the First World War was by no means a muddle-headed event. Whether it was the emperors, officials and politicians, or the general public, everyone wanted to take advantage of the war and everyone was creating crises. The complex and ever-changing personalities and motives of politicians from various countries, the rising nationalism, the increasingly threatening arms race, and the ever-changing alliance system ended the long peace and brought about a war that changed Europe and the world.

This book aims to describe how Europe quickly fell from peace and prosperity into the abyss of war more than a hundred years ago, and attempts to identify the key turning points that narrowed the options.

Margaret MacMillan is an outstanding historian, a leading figure in historical research and international relations, and currently a professor at Oxford University.

MacMillan's great-grandfather was Lloyd George, a famous British prime minister during the First World War. Many of her works are closely related to the era of her grandfather. She has won many awards including the Samuel Johnson Award, the Duff Cooper Award, and the Hessel-Tiltman Award.

His book "The Use and Abuse of History" has been highly praised and highly recommended by history professor Luo Xin.