ORIGINAL: warspite1
Given its the 100th anniversary of start of the Great War, I thought it would be interesting to hear peoples views on this.
There has been a lot of books and programs over the recent past that have challenged the "Germany did it" version of events. Have people been swayed by these arguments? Have they always held a different view anyway? or have they read the new ideas and rejected them?
Its a fascinating subject - anyone interested in such a debate?
Warspite1, thanks for asking. I don't write to offend and hope my points of view come across with little misunderstanding.
Went back in time this weekend.
What i found to answer your question warspite1, is that world war one began long before Jul/Aug 1914. I do lay the blame on Germany and AH. They had to work together for a World War to begin.
Bismarck before he died predicted a world war would begin in the east.
1st lord of the Admiralty Lord Fisher predicted war would begin in 1914 on a weekend bank holiday in Oct. His prediction was based on the Kiel Canal being being deep enough to allow German Dreadnoughts into the North Sea.
When the crisis of assassination happened. The English Fleet was visiting Germany and Russia with some of its most powerful ships. They left Best Friends Forever.
Germany and AH crafted a lead up to war with Serbia that points at them being the aggressors. The fact that Italy had an alliance of mutual defense is a fact to use against Germany and AH.
The greatest fact pointing to Germany and AH as major partners in starting WW1 was the terms AH sent to Serbia to avoid war. 9 out of 10 demands were conceded. Only one was rejected and was asked if it could be negotiated. The shelling of Belgrade soon followed.
So here we have Serbia and AH at war.
Russia being drawn into it. Germany mobilizing.
Funny thing is the inflexible German war-plans that helped create the World war.
There was a brief moment when the Kaiser, Warlord of Germany, stopped the army from invading Luxembourg. The Kaiser wanted word from his cousin King George V. He told Molke he could redeploy the army and face Russia. Moltke broke-down had a hissy fit and said the plans were already made and could not be changed. What a baby.
England's role in creating the First World War was her drifting away from Germany and aligning with France and Russia. The death of Queen Victoria, in 1901, saw the beginning of this drift. Is there a connection? You decide.
