The Outbreak of the First World War and Consequences for Western Civilization

The 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the  First World War is upon us.  When the Austro- Hungarian armies army crossed the Serbian border on August 10th, 1914, the peoples of Europe, who had  enjoyed the longest consecutive period of peace in 1,000 years were entirely unaware that their lives and the civilization they had built would soon be consumed in a conflagration that would  sweep away it away.   Lost in time and obscured by the even more catastrophic events of the Second World War, the Great War nevertheless provided a watershed in world history as nations, monarchies, empires and long venerated institutions came tumbling down, leaving ruins which it would take nearly 75 years to rebuild.  What were the causes of this catastrophe?  What were the consequences for the West and how relevant are the lessons of that  First World War to our contemporary world? .  These and other issues will be addressed by this important AFA  Conference of the Air featuring Sean McMeekin ( author of July 1914); Douglas Bardow ( Cato Institute); Diana West (author of Death of the Grown Up); David Pryce Jones ( author of The Closed Circle) and Richard Weikart ( author of Darwin to Hitler)