Versailles peace treaty, 1919, Article 231

The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.
This was the ultimate conclusion reached by the nations of the Triple Entente and its allies, signifying the end of the war to end all wars, World War One. However, the verdict blaming Germany for the initiation of World War one is still highly controversial. The political implications of where to place the blame in the aftermath of the war, and the sheer scale of conflict have caused many historians to be debating over with for over a century. And yet they all strive to answer the same question. To what extent can Germany be blamed for starting World War One?
Germany. Founded on January 18th, 1871, The German Empire was the cumulative result of three successful wars by the North German state of Prussia versus France, Denmark, and the Habsburg monarchy. Having seized the region of Alsace-Lorraine (now Alsace-Moselle) as a part of the Treaty of Frankfurt with the French Empire in 1871, Germany quickly built its country through an economic boom just before the Panic of 1873 – a stock market crash that abruptly put Germany’s rise to a stop. This in turn may have made Germany look to other countries for resources, particularly parts of Africa and Asia, initiating Germany’s own militarisation. It is worth mentioning that Germany and Japan were in a similar situation during the events that lead up to the start of World War Two, and both countries militarised heavily soon after due to lack of resources. It is also important to take note that Britain suffered a part of this economic crash, though not as heavily as Germany. This may also have lead to parts of its own militarisation.
One of the first instances of Germany’s many indulgences in aggression and warfare is from a famous speechs made by Minister President of Prussia Otto von Bismarck, stating The position of Prussia in Germany will not be determined by its liberalism but its power […] Prussia must concentrate its strength and hold it for the favourable moment, which has already come and gone several times. Since the treaties of Vienna, our frontiers have been ill-designed for a healthy body politic. Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided – that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 – but by iron and blood. (Eisen und Blut) This phrase, based on a patriotic poem by Max von Schenkendorf during the Napoleonic Wars, was popularized as Blut und Eisen, and was a strong description of Bismarck’s foreign policy, with him occasionally turning to war to increase unification of Germany and the expansion of its foreign power. Otto von Bismark was dismissed by Wilhelm II in March 1890, and assumed direct control over Germany’s policies, succeeding his brother on the German and Prussian thrones. In his early reign, Wilhelm began to concentrate upon his main agenda. The creation of a German navy that would rival that of the British Empire, enabling Germany to solidify its claim on itself as a major world power. Wilhelm began to spread panic throughout Europe with his aggressive and erratic speeches, stating a young Germany had secured a place of glory among the other nations, and in need of a strong fleet with many German men to protect and expand its commercial growth around the world. Heading into the early 20th century, Germany had war all in her head.
1906. Britain has developed and completed the first dreadnought for the Royal Navy. What came after was a rapid building race between it and Germany in a quest for militarisation, along with a few other major powers along the sidelines. 1908. Three dreadnoughts by Britain, followed by 3 more in 1909. Germany enters the race here, with four dreadnoughts in 1909, and 1 in 1910. Britain builds three in 1910, and six in 1911. Ten from Britain in 1912, and five from Germany the same year. Both sides build two in 1913, and seven in 1914. By the end of August 1914 the world’s dreadnoughts were: Britain – 34, Germany – 24, and a cumulative 32 from France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Japan, and the USA. Whether or not Germany initiated the arms race here is not a factor, both sides were already under pressure from the stock market crash in 1873 and Wilhelm’s drastic speeches provoking warfare. However, Germany could be argued to have actually prepared for such a war much more than the British, as seen in the output of steel production increasing 68% compared to British 63% during the period of 1880 – 1890.
Aggressions doesn’t stop there, here we see German propaganda, lyrics written by nationalist poet and university professor August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1841, to urge unity for German politics at the time. It should be taken note of, that although Hoffmann's song gained a fair share of popularity over the years, it did not gain official status until August 11th, 1922, when the German government adopted the song and its first verse as the new German national anthem. This may be to increase the morale of the population after losing the war, or the adaptation was delayed sometime towards the end of the war, and did not end up getting approved until after the war had ended.
Deutschland, Deutschland Ober alles,
über alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
brüderlich zusammen hält,
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
wn der Etsch bis an den (Little) Belt,
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
über alles in der Welt!
(Germany, Germany above all,
above all else in the world,
When it steadfastly holds together,
offensively and defensively,
with brotherhood.
From the Maas to the Memel,
from the Etsch to the [Little] Belt.
Germany, Germany above all,above all else in the world. )

It is important to say that other nations, such as France, Russia and Britain all had poetry, songs or hymns that celebrated heroic sacrifice and dying for the mother / fatherland, and that added to conflicts and tensions between nations and eventually the start of the war. However, the decision to go to war is ultimately in the hands of a very small group of diplomats, propaganda may or may not have helped encourage war in the end.
Additionally, some historians argue that Germany was to blame for starting the war, due to them drafting up the Schlieffen plan, devised by Count Alfred von Schlieffen during the late 19th century. The plan consisted of Germany invading around France’s defences along its borders through Belgium and into France capital Paris, which would secure and early victory against the French and prevent a war on two fronts – a problem that Germany had with France and Britain to the west, and Russia to the east. This point does have some merit to it, however it could be argued that, although Germany was the first to have its troops across the borders of another country, it may have been Russia’s start of mobilising and accumulating its massive army across the border between them and Germany, and because France and the Triple Entente were desperately concerned about not being perceived as the aggressors, and simply held back and waited until Germany made their move and made themselves look like the aggressor for posterity.
The most quoted direct cause of the war is the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, on June 28th, 1914. This created a massive wave of chaos, particularly with Austria-Hungary, as it directly affected the Serbians that wanted to leave Austria-Hungary for the nearby Serbia, who had declared independence recently along with Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Greece. Following this, On 23 July 1914 the Austro-Hungarian government issued Serbia with an ultimatum containing concrete demands in order to prevent an escalation. However, when the ultimatum is examined closely, it becomes clear that they were concerned to make the demands as unacceptable as possible, with Serbia only having 48 hours to comply. This is further reinstated by the fact that, previously, Germany had given Austria a “blank cheque” early July that year, through a series of important figures ranging from foreign secretaries, ambassadors, generals, and even the Kaiser himself stating “We must finish with the Serbs, quickly. Now or never!" The events then soon spiraled into global conflict as countries piled in to war.
The Concert of Europe was a consensus reached along the main powers of 19th century Europe to maintain the balance of power. The main alliances at the time consisted of the Triple alliance, made up of Britain, France and Russia, and the Triple Entente, containing Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. The alliances were a major factor pulling nations into the war, if one country was attacked, then the entire European front would be dragged along with it.
Although we can definitely say that Germany was a shared major factor contributing to the start of World War One, through the sheer amounts of the events that happened, conspiracies and other factors, ranging from aggression from all sides, imperial and military expansion, the alliance system, propaganda, and lack of transparency in official documents, we may never know who was truly to blame for the start of the war.