
The Most Influential Person in Modern History: No Creator, Thinker, or Leader - TheSpine
https://medium.com/dialogue-and-discourse/the-most-influential-person-in-modern-history-e393eb3a14fe?source=friends_link&sk=9594c72b3f856bb68044329b962420d3
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mywittyname
My understanding has been that historians generally agree that Austria-Hungary
was going to declare war on Serbia regardless and Ferdinand's assassination
was just a convenient excuse. But if not this event, some other inevitable
action would be used as a _casus belli_.

My vote still goes to
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Haber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Haber)
.

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todd8
Perhaps, but just as conditions in Europe might have inevitably led to war
given the right spark, couldn’t the discovery of the chemical engineering to
develop fertilizer have been just around the corner and if not Frank Haber,
one of his students or some other chemist might have found it.

I agree with you though that it was a turning point for mankind.

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mywittyname
> if not Frank Haber, one of his students or some other chemist might have
> found it.

Sure, and we'd credit that person instead.

~~~
todd8
How true!

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kop316
I cannot find the book off hand, but there was a fascinating book that argued
that throughout history, war has been the norm and peace the exception (and
converted me to that opinion as well).

The book argued that the reason that peace happened for so long was because
someone held it together. That person (the book argued) was Otto von Bismarck.
Bismarck even was quoted in 1987 saying that "One day the great European War
will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans."

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erikig
Pretty sure that was in 1887. That quote would have been 2 wars too late in
1987...

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karmakaze
Granted this is a trigger of the major events that followed. I wouldn't
classify it as influential per se. The conditions that prevailed were built up
of many factors over time. This act was like a spark of a forest fire. If it
wasn't this act another could be as effective. Influence I would say is
creating a coherent view in many people toward a purpose.

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acheron
If you're interested in the leadup to WWI, I recommend this book:
[https://www.harpercollins.com/9780061146657/the-
sleepwalkers...](https://www.harpercollins.com/9780061146657/the-
sleepwalkers/)

~~~
ekimekim
If books aren't your thing, I also highly recommend the BBC's miniseries 37
Days
[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/37_Days_(TV_series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/37_Days_\(TV_series\))]
for a slightly dramatized, but still highly educational take on the titular
period between Ferdinand's assassination and the declaration of war.

