This thesis aims to discuss how modern-day sanctions came to be. It argues that sanctions are a direct result of World War One Entente economic and financial policies towards the central powers,...Show moreThis thesis aims to discuss how modern-day sanctions came to be. It argues that sanctions are a direct result of World War One Entente economic and financial policies towards the central powers, which were then repurposed to be used in peace time after the war as an instrument to enforce the will of the newly established League of Nations.Show less
Germany went into the war in the belief that the war would be intense, but that it would be comparatively short and manageable. This way of thinking was not particularly driven by well thought out...Show moreGermany went into the war in the belief that the war would be intense, but that it would be comparatively short and manageable. This way of thinking was not particularly driven by well thought out theories, instead it was a product of necessity. Because there was no substitute for the Schlieffen plan, in combination with the slow descent of the conflict in into a static bloodbath, German politicians and military leaders tried to find another way out of the catastrophe that the war had devolved into. These factors would eventually result in increasing pressure for the conclusion of the war through a peace initiative. This research paper set out to outline three major arguments. Firstly, that the main German peace offers were sincere in trying to conclude a negotiated peace. Secondly, that there was significant support for peace initiatives both in the general populace and in the military and political elite, although it did vary greatly per initiative. And finally, that the war dragged on because the minimum terms of both sides were deemed unacceptable by the governments and populations which put significant pressure on governments. This view directly contradicts the long-held argumentation along the lines of the Fischer-these and its later iterations which state that the peace initiatives were mainly a ruse and that the sole goal of the German government was the domination of Europe through extensive annexations and creating a network of puppet states. Especially the 1916 general peace offer is a strong piece of evidence that there were significant elements surrounding Bethmann-Hollweg and the Kaiser in the German state that were ready to conclude a peace without these extensive demands. Furthermore, the plethora of enthusiastic newspaper articles in combination with the support of mass-parties like the SPD and Zentrum for some of the proposals indicate that at least some of these peace initiatives could count on significant support from the German population.Show less
During the First World War, Ernest Brooks was appointed as an official photographer for the British forces at the Western Front from 1916 to 1918. This thesis discusses how the photographs produced...Show moreDuring the First World War, Ernest Brooks was appointed as an official photographer for the British forces at the Western Front from 1916 to 1918. This thesis discusses how the photographs produced during this period relate to the British memory of the war today, and how the interpretation of Brooks' work has changed over time.Show less
This thesis provides a new interpretation of German and British First World War poetry by comparing examples from both languages. By looking at the themes found in the soldiers' poetry it aims to...Show moreThis thesis provides a new interpretation of German and British First World War poetry by comparing examples from both languages. By looking at the themes found in the soldiers' poetry it aims to provide more insight in the personal experiences of German and British infantrymen in the trenches of the First World War.Show less
This study deals with the effects of the war on printing, publishing and bookselling in the Netherlands. In a time in which society was changing fast, the book trade witnessed new legislation and...Show moreThis study deals with the effects of the war on printing, publishing and bookselling in the Netherlands. In a time in which society was changing fast, the book trade witnessed new legislation and increasing regulation, as well as more collaboration between the government, employers and employees to create better conditions, while actions were undertaken to limit the negative effects of the war.Show less
This paper addresses the influence of art movements which arose during the First World War on the existing collective memory of the war. In order to do this, a thorough exploration of what...Show moreThis paper addresses the influence of art movements which arose during the First World War on the existing collective memory of the war. In order to do this, a thorough exploration of what collective or cultural memory is and how it is formed was necessary. This knowledge can then be applied to various art movements to understand the correlation between art and remembering war. For this paper, three art movements were chosen as case studies to exemplify this connection: Futurism, Vorticism and Dadaism.Show less
This Bachelor thesis compares the white resistance towards the African American Great Migration in the North and the South of America during the First World War period. This comparison is made by a...Show moreThis Bachelor thesis compares the white resistance towards the African American Great Migration in the North and the South of America during the First World War period. This comparison is made by a case study of Mississippi and Chicago, which are compared through newspaper articles.Show less
Ludwig Von Mises is consensually seen as the father of modern libertarianism, but little is known about the deeper roots of his uncompromising laissez-faire way of thinking. This dissertation tries...Show moreLudwig Von Mises is consensually seen as the father of modern libertarianism, but little is known about the deeper roots of his uncompromising laissez-faire way of thinking. This dissertation tries to present a better understanding of the origins of Mises thought and, more particularly, how Mises, from a very technical economist before the First World War, turned into an ideologist in his book Nation, State, and Economy (1919). Through a careful description of the historical background an analysis of the evolution of his political thought from 1907 to 1919, it is argued that the three Mises’ main biographies, from Jörg Hülsmann, Murray Rothbard, and from Mises himself, interpreted his pre-war ideas in a teleological and anachronistic manner by applying posterior concepts that did not hold before the war. The main conclusion of this thesis is that Mises shifted from a technician to an ideologist as a reaction against the First World War and the excessive centralization of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After suggesting that the psychological roots of this shift should be explored, it is also argued that Mises is, in the end, conceptually mimicking the socialists he criticizes, and that the second wave of the Austrian School starts not in the twenties, but in 1919 with Nation, State, and Economy.Show less
The thesis deals with the political decisions of three members of the British labour movement in the period 1911-1923: John Maclean, Will Thorne and Ben Tillett. In particular, whether and why they...Show moreThe thesis deals with the political decisions of three members of the British labour movement in the period 1911-1923: John Maclean, Will Thorne and Ben Tillett. In particular, whether and why they chose to accept the existing British political structures during those years. The focus is on the constant re-assessment of the value of those institutions in times of crisis, and on which types of motivations played a part in the decisions that resulted from those perceptions and interpretations. The conclusion is that this constant re-assessment of their attitudes serves as a better overall explanation of the Labour Party's course during these years than ideological, structural or individual explanations - or at least adds to those.Show less
De slag bij de Somme, die werd uitgevochten tussen 1 juli en 18 november 1916, wordt tegenwoordig herinnerd als een zinloze slachting en een gruwelijk mislukking. Dit is niet onlogisch, de...Show moreDe slag bij de Somme, die werd uitgevochten tussen 1 juli en 18 november 1916, wordt tegenwoordig herinnerd als een zinloze slachting en een gruwelijk mislukking. Dit is niet onlogisch, de verliezen die aan beide kanten waren enorm en de strategische resultaten voor de aanvallers, Groot-Brittannië en Frankrijk, waren beperkt. Toch is het opvallend dat er tegenwoordig aan geallieerde zijde een uitgesproken negatief beeld van de Eerste Wereldoorlog bestaat, want uiteindelijk waren de geallieerden toch de overwinnaars. In deze studie wordt er gezocht naar de oorsprong van het uitzonderlijk negatieve en duistere beeld van de slag bij de Somme. Hiervoor wordt deze negatieve beeldvorming vergeleken met persbeschrijvingen van de slag in Nederlandse dagbladen en tijdschriften. Deze studie laat dus ook zien wat het publiek in het neutrale Nederlands van 1916 te weten kon komen over de strijd in de loopgraven die op slechts enkele honderden kilometers van de Nederlandse grens werd uitgevochten.Show less
Remembering the Great War in the Dominions of the British Empire provides an insight into how the contributions of the British dominions of Australia and Canada have been memorialised in the...Show moreRemembering the Great War in the Dominions of the British Empire provides an insight into how the contributions of the British dominions of Australia and Canada have been memorialised in the aftermath of the First World War?Show less
