[horsa]

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

No, I don’t think it is bull. What I do think is that you have a complex historical situation where every nation (to varying degrees) carries some responsibility for creating the Great War ( and yes, and that includes Britain as well ) The difficult bit is coming up with a judgement on who did most to propel the nations of Europe along this course. That is sufficiently complex to have occupied the minds of historians ever since 1914.

I believe that three things should be understood

1) In 1914 war was considered a legitimate tool of diplomacy.
2) All the nations had their own agendas, and (largely) acted with self interest.
3) Not everyone within any one nation had the same spin on things.( some had a good idea what “modern” war would mean, others were dangerously naive )

Cutting through a lot of complex issues, my own judgement is :-

1) The most unfair part of the Versailles Treaty of 1919 was the “blame” clause. This caused the most resentment amongst Germans than anything else (and with justification). This made it easy for any tin pot narcisstic wannabe to set up a political party on the ticket of “lets make Germany great and respected again”. If it hadn’t been Hitler it would have been somebody else.

2) On balance the autocratic governments of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia were more irresponsibly belligerent than the democracies of France or Britain. But that is the nature of autocracies. As France, Britain and the USA were the chief architects of the Treaty you can see where the blame clause originated (however unfair). France was particularly bitter, and with justification.


What Blair’s book seems to be doing ( which I can only base on your notes) is reiterating the familiar argument that “Germany was threatened by encirclement and annihilation, forced into a war of self defense, and then humiliated by a Treaty which forced them to accept the total blame for everything, and made them pay punitive reparations”. That viewpoint is neither new, nor is it totally wrong. It’s also not particularly right either.

The “dangerous” thing is that certain impressionable minds ( hopefully not including you, Catfish ) will be too ready to accept that thesis as an absolute truth.
………….. or worse try and run with it as a rallying point for their own crack pot neurotic ideas. ( sounds familiar ?)



As a footnote

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.

You have just accurately described the inevitable tragedy of why Europe went to war with all its dire consequences.


.