Revisionist history, as applied to World War I, began as an
effort to challenge Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, which claimed that
the war had been imposed on “the Allied and Associated Governments” by
“the aggression of Germany and her allies.” By extension, revisionist history
also criticizes the decision of the United States in 1917 to enter the war, the
bad results of the treaties that ended the war, and the propaganda designed to
induce the public to accept the war against the Central Powers.
Barnes, H.E. The Genesis of the World War. A pioneering revisionist
book, first published in 1926. Argues that a plot between Russian Ambassador to
France Alexander Izvolsky and French President Raymond Poncaré played a major
role in the origin of the war.
——. In Quest of Truth and Justice. A comprehensive account of
the many controversies over war origins in which Barnes was involved.
Bourne,
Randolph. War and the Intellectuals: Essays, 1915–1919. Bourne
broke with John Dewey and other Progressives over American entry into WWI. He
indicts American intellectuals for viewing the war as means to enhance their
own power and influence. “War is the health of the state.”
Butterfield, Herbert. History and Human Relations. Contains the important
essay, “Official History: Its Pitfalls and Criteria” suggests that Germany was
responding to fear of Russian expansion.
Cochran, M. H. Germany Not Guilty in 1914. A sharp response to a leading
anti-revisionist account of war, B.E.Schmitt, The Coming of the War.
Denson, John V., ed., The Costs of War. Comprehensive anthology on America’s
wars, from an anti-war perspective. Ralph Raico’s essays on Churchill and World
War I are especially notable. Rothbard’s classic “World War I as Fulfillment:
Power and the Intellectuals” is a must.
Dickinson, G. L. The International Anarchy, 1904–1914.
Argues that secret diplomacy led to the world war
Engelbrecht, H. C. and F. C. Hanighen, Merchants of Death. A
bestseller during the thirties; argues that arms dealers help promote war.
Fay, Sidney B. The Origins of the World War. (2
volumes) A balanced and comprehensive account of war origins. Guilt for the war
does not rest primarily on any one country
Ferguson, Niall. The Pity of War. Britain
ought to have stayed out of the war.
Fussell, Paul. The Great War and Modern Memory. Detailed
study of the impact of WWI. The analysis of the “war poets” is especially
notable.
Gamble, Richard M. The War for Righteousness: Progressive Christianity, the
Great War, and the Rise of the Messianic Nation. Shows
how liberal ministers embraced WWI as a means to promote social reform. Good on
the religious impulses behind Wilsonian policy.
Karp, Walter. The
Politics of War. The Spanish-American War and American entry
into WWI resulted from resistance to domestic reform measures.
Keynes, J. M. Economic
Consequences of the Peace. A famous criticism of the Treaty of
Versailles, arguing that Germany could not pay the reparations burden imposed
by the treaty.
Nock, Albert Jay. The Myth of a Guilty Nation. Germany should not be
portrayed as a “devil nation.”
Ponsonby, Arthur. Falsehood In Wartime. A criticism of British atrocity
propaganda by a leading British opponent of war and a leader of the Labour
Party in the House of Lords.
Raico, Ralph. Great Wars and Great Leaders. A collection of essays by a
great classical liberal historian. Raico emphasizes the warmongering of Winston
Churchill.
Schmitt, Carl. The
Nomos of the Earth in the International Law of the Jus Publicum Europaeum. Defends
the classical system of European diplomacy, in which wars between the European
powers took place under limits, against the abstract universalism introduced by
Woodrow Wilson.
Schroeder, Paul W. Systems,
Stability, and Statecraft Contains an important essay arguing
for British responsibility for the war through pursuing an encirclement policy
toward Austria-Hungary.
Simpson,
Colin. The Lusitania.
Defends the view that Britain provoked the German attack on the Lusitania.
Tansill, Charles C. America
Goes to War. Published in 1939, this remains the most
important account of America’s entry into the war. Stresses Wilson’s indulgence
to British violations of American neutral rights, in contrast with his
strictness toward German violations.
Thomson, G. M. The
Twelve Days. Churchill’s role in pressing for war is stressed.
Wegerer, Alfred von. A Refutation of the Versailles
War Guilt Thesis. The author was the leading German expert on war
origins during the 1920s and 1930s.
Willis, Irene Cooper. England’s
Holy War. Criticizes British portrayals of the war as a moral
crusade.