Abstract: The First World War also known as the Great War took the lives of an estimated 20 million men, women and children and an estimated 21 million were wounded. Of those who lost their lives during the Great War, nearly 9.7 million were military personnel and around 10 million were civilians. It is incredibly difficult to grasp the carnage, destruction and chaos that the Great War brought to those involved. Often, it is learned of the reasons that led to the Great War, but little is stated or discussed on the possibilities of factors that could have led to its prevention and allowed the European States of 1914 to avoid all-out war. This article looks into the discussions of political economy prior to the Great War, possible diplomatic outcomes, and the effects of mobilization just during the four weeks prior to the first shots being fired.
Keywords: Political Economy, Diplomacy, Mobilization, Crisis
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