Global War, Global Catastrophe

de Maartje Abbenhuis, Thomas Zeiler, Ismee Tames

"Global War, Global Catastrophe presents the conflict as a global catastrophe that forcibly reshaped the international system and, with it, the futures of all the world's people. The authors identify nine defining moments that threatened the existing international order, radicalizing the war's conduct and globalizing its impact. These include the Russian revolutions of 1917, the United States' entry into the war and the signature of peace treaties, amongst others. Each of these 'tipping points' is described as a crisis of total war and each helps expand our definition of 'total war' to include all societies affected by the conflict, be they belligerent or neutral. Above all, the book shows that only by integrating neutrality into the existing history of the conflict can we fully understand what made the First World War such a globally catastrophic event. The book devotes a chapter to each tipping point and explains why these moments were so decisive in shifting global realities. This is an accessible and readable overview of the major trajectories of the international and global history of the conflict. It offers an innovative history of the First World War and an important alternative to existing belligerent-centric studies."--