Abstract
The weakened state of Russia in the years following the Russo-Japanese War offered the best chance for the Schlieffen Plan to work, because Russia was not prepared to fight a general war during this period. Instead, what occurred was a constant rise in tension over competing powers who were not willing to concede on their intransigent foreign policies. While it is true that Germany was aggressive, powers like Britain, France, and Russia imposed limitations on German growth. The arms race and the militarism that grew in tandem did no favors for the competing interests of the European “powder keg.”
Recommended Citation
Landry, I.B.
(2025)
"Origins of the Great War: The European Powder Keg,"
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 7:
Iss.
3, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol7/iss3/2