For this week's discussion, you must have completed reading Chapter 12, pages 318-329 and Chapter 13, pages 331-345 in the Pavlac textbook.. For this Discussion, answer ONE of the instructor-provided:

For this week's discussion, you must have completed reading Chapter 12, pages 318-329 and Chapter 13, pages 331-345 in the Pavlac textbook..

For this Discussion, answer ONE of the instructor-provided:

There were many long-term issues that culminated in the First World War.  Choose ONE of the following and discuss how it led to the great calamity:

-- militarism and the "arms race"-- extreme nationalism and mass politics-- imperialism in Africa and Asia-- the relationships between the various nations of Europe

1. Other than the fact that WWI involved so many different nations, what else qualifies it as a "total war?" Do you think this was the world's first "total war?" Why or why not?
2. Some historians have debated whether World War I actually ended or if World War I and II were really one massive, Europe-wide event. After reading about the unfolding of World War I and the tensions, problems and concerns that were rampant during the Inter-War era, what do you think? Were the two World Wars separate events, or one big, cluster of aggression? Defend your opinion using historical evidence and be sure to explain your ideas thoroughly. If you think they were two separate events, why? If you think they should be seen as one event, why? Where do you see World War I ending? Why at that point?