According to Kissinger, one of the leading root causes of World War 1 was the historic rivalry between France and Germany. This " wild rush to catastrophe" known as WW1 shattered three empires and set the stage for a later and more devastating World War. Kubic supported his point with historical evidence and personal knowledge, stating in paragraph 3 that "the domination of Europe, a contest that in the late nineteenth century placed the two countries on an astonishingly reckless course." This continuing conflict over Europe between the two countries demonstrated a long-term effect and rivalry between these two parties, which eventually led to the start of the war.
