Domestic policies of the time were one aspect of the origin of the war that the chapter failed to examine. It was the various policies that each nation propagated, that ultimately led to their entry into the war and the support or lack of, that individuals in the nation gave it. Such is evident in Great Britain, were its initial policies aimed to remove her from war. The government at the time had no intention of entangling British money in any form of a long battle, which would also go to weaken its military prowess. However, growth in nationalism, popularized by novels that depicted Germany as a brutal enemy, made their intervention and ultimate fight against Germany possible. Their need for reserves, in order to perform their respective plans, such as the German Schlieffen plan, was only fulfilled due to constant support by civilians for the war The same can be said for Russia's entry into the war, which had been seen by some as a means to gain support for the less than popular Tsar, but by others as another inevitable defeat that would stump the economy and provoke revolution, such as that in 1905. The willingness of these nations to be involved in the war was based on their domestic ambitions for their country and the vast support that intervention in the war would command from their peoples. This said, some attention should have been paid, in the chapter, to the leaders of such powers, during that time. It was certain that such leaders made decisions that unavoidable plunged their countries into the war. As the textbook explains, the Kaiser, William II "impulsive bravado" alienated not only Britain and France, but also his own workers and advisors, creating even more resentment towards Germany.
The struggle for colonies and military bases headed national interest, which soon led to oppositions and alliances. The author's explanation of the need for many powers to expand and explore isolated lands in Africa and the pacific goes to somewhat support the two alliances that rose prior to the outbreak of war.