This collection of essays deals with some of the problems posed by the origins of World War II. Was World War II part of a developing world crisis or should it be seen purely in a European context? Before 1960 general historical opinion held that World War I 'broke out', World War II was 'precipitated'. Fritz Fischer's and A.J.P Taylor's challenge to this thesis caused a controversy which made it impossible to isolate the causes of the two World Wars.

Whether Hitler was an opportunist or a planner (or both) is discussed in a series of articles, the introduction to which considers the...