The '''causes of [[World War I]]''' remain hotly contested a century after the war itself concluded. Some authors emphasize the accidental aspect of the war as an unplanned response to the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Others argue that Germany planned the war in advance and used the assassination as a pretext.
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The '''causes of [[World War I]]''' remain hotly contested a century after the war itself concluded. Some authors emphasize the accidental character of the war as an unplanned response to the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Others argue that the German government planned the war in advance and used the assassination as a pretext.
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Political scientists generally say the war was not inevitable—that it was caused more by accident, misunderstanding and too-hurried decision-making. Historians say the deep forces would inevitably have caused a war.