On a Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War

REVIEW BY ANDREW MULHOLLAND It is a mistake to approach this book simply as a ‘German perspective’ on the history of the First World War. It is actually much more, in that Holger Afflerbach brings great breadth to his work, with intriguing arguments about the course of the war and its impact for Europe and the world. Part of the well-established Cambridge Military History series, the book is a translation from the German edition first published in 2018. The author teaches European History at Leeds University. At its heart, this is a reassessment of why the war endured and how it ended, based on a close analysis of the German experience. Yet the decisions, motives, and chal