Great Power Most Responsible for WW1?

[Queequeg]

I'm voting Austria, Serbia more or less rolled-over on Austria's absurd ultimatum, Bosnia was a waste of Austrian resources, and the ceaseless provocation of Serbia by Austria (the Pig War) was just silly.  A dying Emperor presiding over a dying Empire who didn't know what the fuck to do other than pretend it was still 1550.

[Admiral Yi]

If Russia had not intervened and partially mobilized it would have stayed a local matter.

[Grinning_Colossus]

Another one of these. Austria is mostly to blame for being unreasonable and starting it. Russia is to blame for escalating too quickly and the Germans are to blame for protecting their unreasonable friends from Russia. The French are also somehow to blame because they really wanted a war.

[Kleves]

IMO, Russia is the most to blame. They supported the Serbs when the Serbs were at fault; they decided to risk a world into war over something that did not directly affect their national security; their mobilization triggered the war (once Russia began mobilizing, the Germans had to go to war or be crushed - though this was also a fault of the rigidity of German war planning); and Russian acted with premeditation - the Russians had worked hard to make the French agree (pre-assassination) that a war in the Balkans would trigger the alliance, and thus (in effect) a World War.  Austria is probably among the least blameworthy. The Serbs claimed Austrian land, constantly sponsored terrorism/nationalist movements, and, oh yeah, was complicit in the assassination of the Austrian heir. Realistically, Austria-Hungary did not have a lot of options but to respond as they did.

[Syt]

Austria, for waffling about a month before kicking (or attempting to kick) Serbia in the balls. Also, to slightly lesser degree Germany for giving Austria the blank check.

[The Brain]

Russia, obviously.

Of course all Languish lawyers will vote Germany since it was legally decided that they were guilty.

[Josquius]

France.
Short term with the Serbian situation then yes, Russia or Austria. But they're just the ones who set the bonfire alight, it was France who built it.

[Tamas]

Austria, for waffling about a month before kicking (or attempting to kick) Serbia in the balls. Also, to slightly lesser degree Germany for giving Austria the blank check.

If I had to choose it would be Germany, because of the blank check.

[Razgovory]

Russia.

[Tamas]

IDK. What choice did they have? Let their Balkan influence bullied away by Austria-Hungary?

[Razgovory]

IDK. What choice did they have? Let their Balkan influence bullied away by Austria-Hungary?

Serbia had gotten out of control.  The assassination of the Arch Duke was terrorist act committed by members of am organization with ties to the highest levels of government.  Such an an act should be seen as an act of war.

Russia did have a choice.  The could have stepped back, let Austria kick Serbia's teeth in and then work to prevent total annexation of Serbia in the resulting peace conference.  Or just let Serbia hang.  In fact, pretty much any choice made would have been better then the actions undertaken by the Czar's government in 1914.

[Zanza]

Germany. Austria-Hungary would not have acted alone and would not have escalated the situation if Germany had told them to stop.

[Agelastus]

I find it a tad ironic that by choosing to support a regime that had in the recent past slaughtered their own Royal Family (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Overthrow) and in the present had sponsored the assassination of the heir to another throne Tsar Nicholas II lost his throne and saw his own family butchered.

Personally I'd blame Austria and Russia equally (Austria for dithering and delaying their punishment of the indefensible until the situation had already begun to snowball diplomatically, and Russia for supporting the indefensible anyway) but since I can't vote that way I'll vote for Russia as being the most culpable.

[Viking]

I think it is hard to blame Russia for backing Serbia here (much I as I detest both nations today). Russia backed Serbia when the Austrian demands amounted to turning Serbia into an Austrian Vassal; ending it's independence.

Austria's unreasonable demands on Serbia started the war and Germany's system of alliances caused the war to be a Great War.

[Tamas]

Germany. Austria-Hungary would not have acted alone and would not have escalated the situation if Germany had told them to stop.

Yes.

Although it is interesting. One could argue that IF they wanted a war eventually (and let`s face it, they did) Germany had to launch it ASAP. Foreign investment in Russia and such made them losing superiority.
And A-H leaders could sense the foundation of their empire crumbling, so they felt like they had to gamble.

They probably should had started the whole mess in 1910 when they had some issues with Italy, or during the Balkan Wars.
Point is, I am quite convinced the Great War was inevitable, because everybody wanted a good rumble, and nobody (apart from a tiny minority I guess) had the faintest idea of how it would look like.