The onset of WWI marked a turning point in the history of mankind, dramatically redefining the nature of warfare. The brutal restructuring of national policies to involve the entire nation, from industrial production to unwarranted assaults upon civilians, represents a tragic shift. The severity of this change warrants examination of both the general historical factors and specific events that produced such dire consequences, as well as speculation on whether WWI may have been avoided. Historians …showed first 75 words of 1187 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1187 total…specific. The war had to happen in some form as a result of the driving historical forces of the time. Nationalism coupled with idealistic militarism left no choice in this matter. It was the actions of a few that shaped the nature of the war. Better diplomatic decisions on the part of any of the great powers, particularly Germany or Britain, could have both considerably reduced the severity and greatly altered the outcome of WWI.