[gorush]

"By August 4 1914 the primary belligerent parties had made their declarations of war based on events following the assassination of Archduke Francis and his wife. However, that event was almost not the catalyst.

The assassination, according to a book I enjoyed by G.J. Meyer, "A World Undone", had little to do with the start of the war. Austria-Hungary started the war through duplicity, Germany was drug in due to treaties. Austria-Hungary (The Hapsburgs) was quickly dispatched leaving Germany holding the bag...a war they never wanted in the first place.

[Retain Mike]

He makes the point in a portion I did not quote that the count was not the only one with sinister motives. The French and Germans certainly despised each other and wanted some excuse to replay 1871.

[Sans-Culotte]

The assassination, according to a book I enjoyed by G.J. Meyer, "A World Undone", had little to do with the start of the war. Austria-Hungary started the war through duplicity, Germany was drug in due to treaties. Austria-Hungary (The Hapsburgs) was quickly dispatched leaving Germany holding the bag...a war they never wanted in the first place.

Yes, Austria-Hungary wanted to go to war with Serbia, but the assassination was the 'Reichstag Fire' event that put the war on the fast track.

[First_Salute]

Retain Mike is correct, in his reply 6.

Who Started World War I?

Many historians have dated this from an important meeting at Potsdam in December 1912. “I believe war is unavoidable and the sooner the better,” the Army’s Chief of the General Staff, Helmuth von Moltke announced at the “War Council,” and the Kaiser agreed. But Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, head of the navy, urged that war be delayed until the Kiel Canal was completed in July 1914. Moltke conceded that it might be a good idea to prepare public opinion for the war. A new Army Bill was introduced, increasing the number of effectives and funding new heavy artillery, and a press campaign was launched.