Was it avoidable? This of course is an opinion question but given that this is one of your fields of interest, I feel inclined to ask. Most scholars of the war I've talked to will say of course, and then point to various failings of the Paris Peace Conference and other events as evidence -- but I believe that's fundamentally a hindsight approach based of memory learned later and not necessarily one that conclusively proves inevitability of war. So in your opinion, could the war be avoided? If so -- and if you desire to elaborate -- what policies could have prevented war?