Quote:
Originally Posted by USViking
You are trying to limit the case to Austria-Serbia,
and that is unsupportable.
The system of alliances guarenteed an Austro-Serbian
war could not be confined to Austria and Serbia.
Furthermore, Germany had had its sights on France
for decades. France was the real target for Germany,
and the Austro-Serbian conflict was merely an excuse
to break France.
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I am not trying to limit it, but simply point out that Germany was right and just in its support of its Austrian ally.
Quote:
Originally Posted by USViking
Baloney.
Germany could have repulsed any attack by Russia
and France combined and done so easlily.
I have read of the concerns of the German military.
I find it hard to believe they could have so greatly
underestimated their own power short of serious delusion.
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How do we know this Viking? Because you say so?
The fact of the matter is that the Russians, and their French allies, had numbers (in both men and equipment) on their side, as well as technology in some cases. To allow both countries to fully mobilize and take the initiative would have been a massive risk. Keep in mind that while the combined German armies had crushed France in 1870, the German army of 1914 had seen no real combat since then. Furthermore, the French army of 1914 was not the French army of 1870. Germany could simply not take the risk of allowing Russia and France to be the first to strike, and thereby seize the initiative.
Quote:
Originally Posted by USViking
Now that is really odd because I have the book,
I have read it twice, and I missed the parts about
Germany's sincere diplomacy.
Of course they passed diplomatic notes back and forth.
But the fact is Germany had been bullying France
for decades, Germany was spoiling for a fight with
France, and Germany decided in 1914 that the time
was ripe to go ahead and start the fight.
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So, what makes their diplomacy insincere in your eyes? Is it simply a matter of personal opinion?
You are correct, there were circles in Germany (the General Staff in particular) who were pushing for a war with France. Why? Because they saw that the gap (mainly quality) between the French and German armies was decreasing. They knew that their window to strike was closing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by USViking
Well, Austria's centuries-long expansion in the Balkans
was not totally right. It would have done best to leave
Bosnia-Herzegovena to some fate other than annexation.
Serbia's support of terror was totally wrong, but not
wrong enough to justify the risk extension of war to
Germany, France and Russia.
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I would agree with you had they (Serbian nationalists) not shot the crown prince.