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The First World War is often seen as futile and pointless. Millions of men fought and died for years, but no one was satisfied with the outcome, which did not bring a lasting peace. But that is not how governments and many people saw the war as it was being fought. So what did the countries fighting actually want to achieve? In other words, what was the purpose of the First World War?

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» SOURCES
Afflerbach, Holger. What Was the Great War about? War Aims, Military Strategies and Political Justifications during the First World War, in The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies, ed. Holger Afflerbach. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
Baravelli, Andrea. War Aims and War Aims Discussions (Italy) in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Chickering, Roger. Strategy, Politics, and the Quest for a Negotiated Peace: The German Case, 1914-1918, in The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies, ed. Holger Afflerbach. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
Jeffrey, Keith. British Strategy and War Aims in the First World War, in The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies, edited by Holger Afflerbach. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
Kolonitskii, Boris. War as Legitimisation of Revolution, Revolution as Justification of War. Political Mobilisations in Russia, 1914-1917, in The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies, edited by Holger Afflerbach. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
Le Naour, Jean-Yves. 1914. La grande illusion. Perrin, 2012.
McMeekin, Sean. The Ottoman Endgame. Penguin, 2015.
Macmillan, Margaret. The Peacemakers: Six Months that Changed the World. John Murray, 2001.

Peeling, Siobhan. Decree on Peace in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Schattenberg, Susanne. Brest-Litovsk, Treaty of in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, David. War Aims and War Aims Discussions (Russian Empire) in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Soutou, Georges-Henri. French War Aims and Strategy, in The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies, edited by Holger Afflerbach. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
Soutou, Georges-Henri. War Aims and War Aims Discussions in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Strachan, Hew. The First World War. Vol I: To Arms. Oxford UP, 2001.
Strachan, Hew. Military Operations and National Policies, 1914-1918 in The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies, ed. Holger Afflerbach. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015.
Tison, Stéphane. War Aims and War Aims Discussions (France) in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Williamson, Jr., Samuel R. War Aims and War Aims Discussions (Austria-Hungary) in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.
Yasamee, Feroze. War Aims and War Aims Discussions (Ottoman Empire) in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel et al.


»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller
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Research by: Jesse Alexander, Sophie Soulière
Fact checking: Jesse Alexander, Florian Wittig
Executive Producer: Florian Wittig
Channel Design: Yves Thimian

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