Great Power Most Responsible for WW1?

[Ed Anger]

The Italian kept trying to bop the Austrian on the head but to his chagrin, his truncheon was made of rubber.

[Ed Anger]

And for Squeelus, a ED ANGER BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

Sardinian Brigade

http://www.amazon.com/Sardinian-Brigade-Treasures-Emilio-Lussu/dp/1853753602

Best buck I ever spent.

[Valmy]

In some ways isn't this a bit like asking who started the bar-room brawl ?

Yeah. I mean look, they are counting the countless reasons each GP had to look for war. Totally pointless question who set it ablaze.

Yet we cannot seem to stop doing it.  Most modern historians seem pretty certain Germany started it these days, seems we have come full circle.

[garbon]

Totally pointless question who set it ablaze.

[grumbler]

Completely disagree.  Germany completely undermined Russia in the Balkans in favor of Austria and not renewing the alliance was simply a signal they would continue to back Austria.  Russia had to look around for friends to help her defend her interests and hey there was France.  But conflict in the Balkans was pretty likely even without France.

Completely disagree.  Germany generally supported a balance in the Balkans between Russia and Austria-Hungary, and restrained AH in the Serbo-Bulgarian War.  Not renewing the Reinsurance Treaty was a German signal to Great Britain that Germany wouldn't take sides in the Russian dispute with the UK (aka "the Great Game"), which was just then heating up again.  The Germans didn't think they needed a formal treaty with a power so traditionally aligned with them as Russia.  That was a blunder, of course, but not a deliberate one.

[grumbler]

In some ways isn't this a bit like asking who started the bar-room brawl ?

Yeah. I mean look, they are counting the countless reasons each GP had to look for war. Totally pointless question who set it ablaze.

It is as totally pointless as any other historical question, and as totally pointed.

[Tamas]

In some ways isn't this a bit like asking who started the bar-room brawl ?

Yeah. I mean look, they are counting the countless reasons each GP had to look for war. Totally pointless question who set it ablaze.

It is as totally pointless as any other historical question, and as totally pointed.

I disagree.

[grumbler]

I disagree.

Thanks.  I worried that I might be wrong, until you disagreed. 

[Razgovory]

In some ways isn't this a bit like asking who started the bar-room brawl ?

Well, yeah.  Pretty much all the major powers could of have stopped the war, but either blundered into it or failed to prevent it.  For instance Britain was in the best position to be arbitrator of Europe but the government didn't do much to stop it, and there was ambiguity to whether they would come to the aid of France in the first place.  Ambiguity that helped fuel German aggression.

[merithyn]

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

My thoughts, as well.

[Valmy]

For instance Britain was in the best position to be arbitrator of Europe but the government didn't do much to stop it, and there was ambiguity to whether they would come to the aid of France in the first place.  Ambiguity that helped fuel German aggression.

I find this odd.  What exactly could the British have done to arbitrate?  What leverage did they have?  And how did the ambiguity help encourage the Germans to do something that might get Britain in the war?

[Valmy]

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

My thoughts, as well.

That strikes me as asking alot from Russia, just to stand by and watch their allies get steamrolled.  I mean they had sort of done that in 1908 already.

[grumbler]

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

My thoughts, as well.

Yes, but that's the argument that the bullying would just have involved two students if the anti-bully hadn't stepped in.

Had Austria accepted the Serb response to the ultimatum, it would have stayed an even more local affair.  Austria pressed war so that "the empire can die decently;" Russia because its government was trying not to die.

Had Austria heeded the Russian threat and backed down (yet another Austrian opportunity lost), it would have remained a very local affair.

[The Brain]

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.

I think the US wasn't unreasonable when they took out the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

[Razgovory]

For instance Britain was in the best position to be arbitrator of Europe but the government didn't do much to stop it, and there was ambiguity to whether they would come to the aid of France in the first place.  Ambiguity that helped fuel German aggression.

I find this odd.  What exactly could the British have done to arbitrate?  What leverage did they have?  And how did the ambiguity help encourage the Germans to do something that might get Britain in the war?

Britain was sort of outside the rivalries in Europe, had it's fingers in pies all over Europe, and this enormous navy as leverage.  Makes them fairly good arbitragers ( I spelled arbitrate incorrectly and got this word which I never heard of.  I decided to keep it in even though it has something to do with stocks).  The Germans are much more likely to act if they think Britain might join rather then if think Britain will join the war.  If someone might, do something there is a chance they might not as well.  That's how ambiguity helped fueled the war.