Yes Germany was responsible for caussing WWI because of the blank check signed in 1914, June 6th which allowed Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia with Germany's support. They also pushed Austria to become involved in the War so they, and their allies, would not look weak.

Yes. Germany was responsible for causing WWI because of the 'blank check' given on June 6th, 1914 which allowed Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia with Germany's support. They also pushed Austria to go to war.

Germany was not responsible for the First World War; rather, of the initial combatants in WWI they bear equal if not lesser blame. It is fair enough to argue that Kaiser Wilhelm II harboured expansionist aims and through seeking a large navy and following a militaristic Weltpolitik, he alienated Great Britain and Russia; furthermore, his failure to resign the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia in 1894 allowed France to slink back from its diplomatic isolation that Bismarck had crafted between 1871 and 1890. Germany, though, was NOT seeking a war (even a limited one) with any of the European powers at the time. Kaiser Wilhelm, like a child playing with toy soldiers, revelled in the concept of sabre-rattling and trying to overcompensate for his own non-martial skills; thus, his blank cheque to Austria.

As every schoolboy should know, it was the militant Serbian nationalist who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarian prince whose killing led to his nation’s declaration of war on Serbia, which had a domino effect as other countries entering the conflict.

In his defence, it was an example of what we would nowadays term state-sponsored terrorism, as Princip and his friends were backed by elements in the Serbian government and army. Sooner or later they would have done something similar. Indeed the Belgrade government could be fairly criticised for not thinking through its policy, as it did little to benefit the country.

Princip missed the first time, but was hanging around a caf� when the Archduke’s chauffeur took a wrong turning, drove past again and offered a second chance to change the course of world history. So we might as well blame the Archduke’s chauffeur in an era before satnavs. For the record, his name was Leopold Lojka.