abstract:Sonderweg (literally: "special path") is a theory in German historiography that considers the German-speaking lands, or the country Germany, to have followed a unique course from aristocracy to democracy, distinct from other European countries. It is also used to explain German foreign policy and ideology before and during World War I, which was characterized by trying to find a "Third Way" for the world, other than western "vulgar" democracy or eastern Tsaristic autocracy.