SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - A First: New book about WW1 subs (but ...

Catfish · 07-07-08, 05:04 AM

Hello,
i will still have to translate parts of the abstract and conclusion, i will at least have to at the aerodrome forum.
While some history probably is written by the "winner", reading some history books certainly helps

. I do not write here how it really was - i am neither able nor in any position to do that. It is simply that this book and its quotations made me re-think about what i thought i knew.

Horsa, you are certainly right in that Germany declared war to Russia. However since Germany had an assistance treaty (or alliance? attack faction? is this the right word?) with Austro-Hungary it must have been clear for Russia, after declaring war to Austro-Hungary, it then would have to deal with both signers of that treaty. As well Austro-Hungary cannot have been too surprised Russia did not take their declaration of war towards Serbia without a reaction. And there can be no doubt that Austro-Hungary used the assassination in Sarajevo as a welcomed "occasion", or better pretext, to declare war on Serbia.

I may be wrong with the following, and have to re-read some passages in the books - i will definitely not trust the internet in that respect, even if i appreciate the Wikipedia project:

I am not so sure here that Germany declared war to France, and then later and not without a cause - there were already military hostilities by the french army trying to re-acquire the region of Elsass-Lothringen along the upper rhine, a region France had lost in the french-german war of 1871. It was however forced back by german forces, so there may already have been an officially undeclared war going on.
Following the book and the papers of the foreign offices Germany was forced into the war with France, and would not have started it - after all to prevent this dreaded two-front war which was considered impossible to win. For what is written in the book the german military did not see any other possibility as the Schlieffen-plan after the declaration of war had happened: To win at one front quick enough to have time, soldiers and enough support for the other one. According to the book Moltke literally had tears in his eyes after the french (!) declaration of war, saying " ... this two front war will probably end in an international war no one can want !". Mayby this is german propaganda of the time ?

Another thing is without invading Belgium Great Britain as a "guarantor of Belgium's neutrality" would have had no official reason to go to war against Germany.
England would only have had a reason to help France "... in case of ... [a country] ... declaring war to France ...", but this was not the official reason of England's declaration of war against Germany.

I will try to find evidence and post this here, until then you can consider this as unproven bull****

.

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

07-07-08, 05:04 AM	#17
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,779 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Hello, i will still have to translate parts of the abstract and conclusion, i will at least have to at the aerodrome forum. While some history probably is written by the "winner", reading some history books certainly helps . I do not write here how it really was - i am neither able nor in any position to do that. It is simply that this book and its quotations made me re-think about what i thought i knew. Horsa, you are certainly right in that Germany declared war to Russia. However since Germany had an assistance treaty (or alliance? attack faction? is this the right word?) with Austro-Hungary it must have been clear for Russia, after declaring war to Austro-Hungary, it then would have to deal with both signers of that treaty. As well Austro-Hungary cannot have been too surprised Russia did not take their declaration of war towards Serbia without a reaction. And there can be no doubt that Austro-Hungary used the assassination in Sarajevo as a welcomed "occasion", or better pretext, to declare war on Serbia. I may be wrong with the following, and have to re-read some passages in the books - i will definitely not trust the internet in that respect, even if i appreciate the Wikipedia project: I am not so sure here that Germany declared war to France, and then later and not without a cause - there were already military hostilities by the french army trying to re-acquire the region of Elsass-Lothringen along the upper rhine, a region France had lost in the french-german war of 1871. It was however forced back by german forces, so there may already have been an officially undeclared war going on. Following the book and the papers of the foreign offices Germany was forced into the war with France, and would not have started it - after all to prevent this dreaded two-front war which was considered impossible to win. For what is written in the book the german military did not see any other possibility as the Schlieffen-plan after the declaration of war had happened: To win at one front quick enough to have time, soldiers and enough support for the other one. According to the book Moltke literally had tears in his eyes after the french (!) declaration of war, saying " ... this two front war will probably end in an international war no one can want !". Mayby this is german propaganda of the time ? Another thing is without invading Belgium Great Britain as a "guarantor of Belgium's neutrality" would have had no official reason to go to war against Germany. England would only have had a reason to help France "... in case of ... [a country] ... declaring war to France ...", but this was not the official reason of England's declaration of war against Germany. I will try to find evidence and post this here, until then you can consider this as unproven bull**** . Thanks and greetings, Catfish