What is World War I? World War I is the war that the Central Powers (Germany, Austria Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria) fought with the Allied Powers (France, Serbia, Britain, Russia, Italy, and Japan). Many argued that Austria-Hungary deserves the most blame because it was Austria-Hungary who sought to imperialize Serbia first which then led to Serbia's assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. The assassination of the Archduke of Ferdinand was about that a Serbian who was unsatisfied with how Austria-Hungary wanted to dominate Serbia, so he killed the Archduke of Austria Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, who was visiting the city of Sarajevo. This action caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia and later drew even more attentions from their allies. However, the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was not included in World War I. Instead, the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was just Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia due to the archduke assassination.
Therefore, Germany should be the country who deserves the most blame to start World War I because it was Germany who proposed the Blank Cheque that dragged in the other allied countries of Serbia and Austria-Hungary into the conflict, and this is the time that the World War actually began. The war was originally between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, but due to its proposal of the Blank Cheque, Germany fought for Austria-Hungary on Serbia. And this action provoked Serbia's allies such as France and Russia. According to Sir Max Hastings, Germany should be the one who is the most to blame because if Germany withdrew the Blank Cheque, Russia wouldn't have joined, and it wouldn't led to the war between the Central Powers and Allied Powers. Russia, for the benefits of its own country would've have wanted to join the fight because it led to the death of many Russian soldiers and the consumption of its own military resources and economy. If Germany hadn't signed the Blank Cheque and agreed to support Austria-Hungary unconditionally with full effort, there would've been no fights between the allied countries, and it would've just been a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
Therefore, Germany should be the country who deserves the most blame to start World War I because it was Germany who proposed the Blank Cheque that dragged in the other allied countries of Serbia and Austria-Hungary into the conflict, and this is the time that the World War actually began. The war was originally between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, but due to its proposal of the Blank Cheque, Germany fought for Austria-Hungary on Serbia. And this action provoked Serbia's allies such as France and Russia. According to Sir Max Hastings, Germany should be the one who is the most to blame because if Germany withdrew the Blank Cheque, Russia wouldn't have joined, and it wouldn't led to the war between the Central Powers and Allied Powers. Russia, for the benefits of its own country would've have wanted to join the fight because it led to the death of many Russian soldiers and the consumption of its own military resources and economy. If Germany hadn't signed the Blank Cheque and agreed to support Austria-Hungary unconditionally with full effort, there would've been no fights between the allied countries, and it would've just been a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.