The German Army League was the last in a chain of patriotic societies created to combat socialism and pacifism in pre-World War I Germany. Founded in 1912, it was important in strengthening the resolve of those in Germany who wanted war, mostly as a panacea for the country's ills. In her in-depth study of this organization, the author addresses the questions hotly debated by German historians: to what de gree did the masses support Wilhelmine militarism? to what degree can the course of German history be described as a Sonderweg, a path distinct from that of other European countries?