Germany Not Guilty in 1914

by Harry Elmer Barnes

A detailed, devastating critique and refutation of The Coming of the War , an influential book by American historian Bernadotte Schmidt, published in 1930, that attempts to salvage the "accepted" thesis of primary German responsibility for the outbreak of the First World War. Written by Michael H. Cochran, professor of history at the University of Missouri. With a foreword by Harry Elmer Barnes, and a 1972 introduction by Prof. Henry Adams. With source notes.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written as a response to the publication of Bernadotte Schmitt's "The Coming of the War". It shows that Mr. Schmitt did not work like a historian should from a neutral perspective, by analyzing the available sources, combining the reviewed material, and then drawing a conclusion as to what he has found out. Rather, according to Cochran, he worked backwards from the fixed conclusion of the unquestionable German war guilt, and twisted timelines, falsely translated original texts and then used these "facts" to prove his predetermined conclusion. While reading the book I became aware that even historical books can't simply be read for the information they deliver, but must be examined carefully. Furthermore, the facts used for the authors conclusion must be cross referenced with the original sources for their exactness. As it is shown in this book. the story can be told with false conclusions but being presented in a sound and eloquent way to convince the reader of the authors opinion rather than the proven truth.