This Week on History Happy Hour: How close a shave was World War One? Could Germany have pulled it out? Historian Holger Afflerbach argues that the outcome was actually in the balance until relatively late in the war. He suggests that Germany had to make a series of critical mistakes to lose it.

Chris and Rick will talk with him about his new book, On A Knife Edge: How Germany Lost World War One. A fascinating re-appraisal of WWI with one of the world's leading authorities on modern European history.

Holger Afflerbach is a historian specializing in modern European history, with a particular focus on international relations, war, and conflict. He is currently a Professor of Modern European History at the University of Leeds in the UK. Afflerbach has published extensively on topics such as the First World War, military history, and the history of intelligence. He is the author of The Purpose of the First World War: War Aims and Military Strategies.