Of course it did. But the timeline was as I stated:
- Serbia commits act of war against Austria-Hungary
- Austria-Hungary issues ultimatum to Serbia which Serbia rejects
- Austria Hungary goes to war with Serbia
- Russians mobilize all along border including Austria Hungary AND Germany AFTER Germans tell them it would force them to go to war and AFTER they promised the Germans that they would not
- Germans ask French of they will stay out. French say “non!”
- Germans then try to knock out France quickly before lumbering Russian bear can mobilize its full strength
- German war plan to go through Belgium then draws Brits in
This was not 1939. The Kaiser was a flawed man but he wasn’t a monster bent on European conquest. The Germans weren’t looking to grab anybody else’s land.
And it was just a dumb luck that Germany had a huge army and navy. And detailed plans to invade France via Belgium. And to counter Russia in the east.
Got it.
True, the Germans got a royal screwing in WW1, with a BIG assist from the French.
And the Serbs came out nicely from the war, with a territory many times its original size. Another “gift” from Wilson.