The volume we present here seeks to depict the position of those involved in the war, as it appears to us based on the most careful studies. It also describes the background and outbreak of the war and characterizes the "spirit of war" in some key aspects. The various contributions, which he unites into a coherent whole as much as possible, were mostly completed by March. At that time, Italy was still adhering to its age-old alliance obligations and remained distant from the war; thus, like the other neutral states, it has not been included in the account—apart from a few subsequent remarks. The author of this work from the time of the First World War, Otto Hintze (1861 - 1940), was a German historian and writer. Hintze is considered one of the most significant German social historians.