Writing in regard to the specific case of the outbreak

Writing in regard to the specific case of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, but in terms that could be applied to many other conflicts, James Joll argued that

“…we have an enormous range of possible‘causes’of the First World War from which to choose our explanation, and the choice is, if not an arbitrary one, one which is conditioned by our own psychological interests and preconceptions.Some political scientists have found the acceptance of such a plurality of individual explanations intolerable and have attempted to quantify the factors in the pre-1914 situation so as to be able to measure their relative importance, and by assessing the balance of power in objective terms, show precisely what circumstances led to the war.While this...approach can be helpful to historians in suggesting significant factors which they might otherwise underestimate, it necessarily has limitations when it comes to assessing the significance of what are by their nature unquantifiable variables such as states of mind and questions of what is loosely called‘morale,’even if it is possible to work out—though this is no means certain—an accurate estimate of the economic and strategic factors which cause international instability.”

James Joll,Origins of the First World War,2cd edition, Longman: 1992, p. 236

Do you agree with Joll’s argument that most wars (1) have many overlapping causes and (2) often involve factors that are hard to quantify or objectively evaluate?

Based on our readings an d discussions so far, as well as your own experiences and historical readings, offer your appraisal of this approach to war in a short (400-600 word) essay.You are free to use any sources and readings you wish, but all should be cited.Be sure to make a clear thesis statement and argument and use examples to support your analysis.

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