This is a well written (but not brilliant), extremely concise look at the origins of World War 1 and the war, all jam packed into one very fast and dense volume. Very informative, but this moves almost too fast and covers so much ground that I’d recommend this a good starting point for learning about the origins of the war but would imagine other multi volume books would give more in depth coverage.

Origins:

Death of Austrian Duke Franz Ferdinand at hands of Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 1914

Austria/Hungary demanding payback on Serbia, Germany backing up Austria/Hungary, Russia backing up Serbia, France/Britain allied with Russia, interlocking alliances, Britain trying to keep Germany from attacking France

Warlike schemes of Conrad, Berchtold of Austria, German Kaiser not really informed, failed attempts by Kaiser/Tsar Nicholas/Edward Grey to prevent war

Important background on the Hapsburg Austrian ruling family dynasty, Hohenzollern’s of Germany, Romanov’s of Germany, decline of ottoman turk empire, junker aristocracy of german military elite in Prussia, history of modern weaponry, shell shock, anti Semitism, importance of artillery, economic ruin of belligerents, food shortages, rise of Lloyd George of Britain and Clemenceau of France, background of Kaiser Wilhelm, Lawrence of Arabia, Erich Ludendorff

East:

Russia attacks in the east

Austria’s disastrous battles against Serbia and lack of being effective ally for Germany against Russia

1914 - German (Ludendorff, Hindenberg) decisive victory at Battle of Tanneburg in east Prussia, by encircling the Russians

1914 – German defeat at Battle of Warsaw

1915 – German failure for huge breakthrough at second battle of masurian lakes vs. Russians

1915 – Przemysl – Russian defeat of Austrian forces

1915 – Dardanelles/Gallipoli – British/French failure to take Dardanelles straights via naval engagement (mining destroying ships) and then stalemate/disaster in Gallipoli campaign, sacking of Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty, eventual pull out by Entente

1915 – Gorlice-Tarnow – German major victory in campaign against Russia

1915 – collapse of Serbia after German/Austrian victory there

1916 – Successful Galicia offensive by Russians over Austrians (Brusilov)

1916 – Austrian attacks against Italy

1916 – subsequent entry into war of Romania on side of Entente and soon destruction of Romanian army

1916 – sacking of Falkenhayn and subsequent raising of Hindenberg/Ludendorff to command of military

1917 – Russian exit from war after revolts in politics and soldiers

Brest-Litovsk treaty and brutal results for Russia

West:

Germany’s Schlieffen Plan for avoiding disastrous two front war against France and Russia by attacking France first via fast mobilization and attacking through neutral Belgium, to drive on Paris

1914 - Germany earlier victory in Northern Belgium breaking through Liege, British Expeditionary Force (Sir John French) somewhat slowing down German (Kluck, Bulow) armies

General retreat of French (commanded by Joffre in Paris) and British, Germans poor decision to strip troops off the Schlieffen plan right armies, relative stalemate in trenches thereafter

1914 – Battle of the Marne in France - Stopping of German Right wing Schlieffen attack by French/British, preventing Germans from reaching Paris

1914 – Battle of Ypres in Flanders, Belgium

1915 – Battle of 2nd Ypres

1916 – Battle of Verdun in France – German offensive near Meuse River, ultimate failure to win victory

1916 – Battle of the Somme in France – failed British/French offensive against Germans

1917 – german decision to re-start unrestricted submarine warfare, Ludendorff re-organization of defense in hindenberg line

1917 – failed Nivelle france offensive

1917 – failed British 3rd Ypres offensive

1918 – Final German Offensive in France (Operation Michael), limited gains, failed to hold towns like Amiens, Soissons, Reims

Entry of America into war, final Allied offensive with overwhelming manpower and material and German surrender, harsh peace terms, abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm, slipping out of country of Ludendorff, various german governmental changes