Germany is responsible for World War I is a historical argument claiming that World War I was a result of aggression fomented by the German Empire’s political and military leadership. The argument was enshrined in article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, signed by the Allied Powers and by Germany in 1919. Historians in favor of this position have relied on cultural, biological, political, ideological, and economic arguments:
Cultural argument: the German people is defined by obedience towards authorities. In comparison to France, Great Britain, and the United States, until the middle of the 20th century, Germany had not developed a strong civil society and a parliamentary system independent of government and the military. German historians like Hans-Uhlrich Wehner refer to this argument as the German "Sonderweg" (special path).
Biological argument: the German people is inherently barbaric and prone to aggression. The biological argument was popularized by the American Jew, Theodore Newman Kaufman, in his book "Germany must perish!" in 1941. Two years before the publication of "Germany must Perish", Kaufman petitioned the US Congress to sterilize the American people to prevent future US invasion of foreign countries.
Political argument: the Kaiser was bad.
Ideological argument: the völkisch movement laid the groundwork for expansionism to the East for Lebensraum (living space).
Economic argument: German industrialists and colonizer needed war with Great Britain and France to expand their territories.
