Some Relevant Historical Statistics About Transnational Germany Before The World War I: A Prestige Based Explanation Conferred By Data And Realities

Germany’s decision to enter World War I has been overdebated for century, most explanations tilting towards realpolitik mentality and material capabilities. Without discarding no previous perspectives, the authors of this paper emphasizes the role of prestige in the mindset of Berlin politico-military decision-makers. Contrary to common understanting that defines hard power and soft power in exclusive terms, the article’s originality consists of problematizing the way latter is important for the succes of the former. The authors use some statistical information from different domains, but especially from social statistics, to underline their ideas. This article reveals the German foremost role in science, culture and education, beyond European borders and debates how these three domains instilled hybris and fuelled imperial aspirations which lead to the dramatic gambit in the summer of 1914. An initial introduction based on classical hypotheses is followed by a statistical section and together offer some elements and data base for a better analysis of the explanation based on a relative but aggressive prestige, conferred by facts and realities mainly cultural, educational, demographic, social and economic.