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Was World War I Avoidable?
GW Today ^ | 2014 | James Irwin

Posted on 09/01/2024 9:07:12 AM PDT by hardspunned

The assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip in late June 1914 had one of the strongest ripple effects in modern history, setting off a series of war declarations across Europe and plunging the world into one of its deadliest conflicts.

World War I, however, didn’t officially begin until a month after Ferdinand’s assassination, and though tensions were high, the fight wasn’t inevitable, according to Ronald Spector, professor of history and international affairs.

George Washington Today sat down with Dr. Spector to discuss the assassination, the path to war and the new Europe it created.

Q: What was the mood in Europe in the summer of 1914, right around the time of the assassination? A: At the time, things actually seemed to be getting better. The Moroccan Crisis had been settled, the French and Germans had concluded an agreement about the Rhine River, and at the time of the assassination the German Navy was hosting the British Navy at Kiel Week, which is a huge bash with yacht and boat races. Of course, there were certain structural causes present, including the rise of nationalism in the Balkans, the alliance systems and the long-term arms race in naval and land weapons. But these things were in the background. It didn’t seem, in the summer of 1914, that there was much worry about a global war. The French and British newspapers, even for several weeks after the assassination, referred to it as “the Balkan crisis.” They didn’t think this would be a worldwide conflict.

(Excerpt) Read more at gwtoday.gwu.edu ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History
KEYWORDS: concerntroll; concerntrolling; europe; war; ww1
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To: hardspunned

If only the Kaiser hadn’t been a fool, or had the sweet disposition of Lassie ... German historian Holger Herwig adequately established that the principal reason was that the German government wanted a war.


41 posted on 09/01/2024 9:56:13 AM PDT by Thud
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To: hardspunned

Austria-Hungary should have accepted Serbia’s concessions even though they didn’t concede everything demanded of them. Then work seriously on the internal problems of their polyglot empire and build relations with Serbia.

We face similar problems: We have an uninvited immigrant population that balks at assimilation but instead makes demands that they expect to be met. While meeting them, we sink further into debt without deriving any measurable benefit—IMHO. Our chief external distractions are the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s counter-offensive against Hamas. We waste money we don’t have in those directions, too.

Where we focus on domestic problems at all, it’s to “meet the threats against our democracy from the far right.” …And then (as a nation) immediately tie the right hand behind our back and punch our own face with the left.

We are stuck on stupid and our elected representatives seem hell-bent on ruining our nation in every area imaginable while salivating over a war with Russia.


42 posted on 09/01/2024 9:56:37 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: BradyLS

Austria-Hungary should have accepted Serbia’s concessions even though they didn’t concede everything demanded of them. Then work seriously on the internal problems of their polyglot empire and build relations with Serbia.


As they say, If Diversity Is Our Strength, then Austria-Hungary would have won WWI.


43 posted on 09/01/2024 9:57:54 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: MuttTheHoople

One of the most awful things I have seen were the videos of the young British men getting on trains headed off to World War I.

They were smiling, proud, full of patriotism—and confident of a quick and easy victory.

They had no clue what a slaughterhouse awaited them.

The British political leadership was cynical and cruel. It is a special kind of evil to lead idealistic young men off to slaughter.

The British leadership shared responsibility for the nightmare that followed.


44 posted on 09/01/2024 9:58:39 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: Thud

The Kaiser didn’t want war, he begged Cousin Nicky to stop the Russian mobilization, but both were powerless to stop what was coming. The generals on both sides called the shots.


45 posted on 09/01/2024 9:59:27 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator

A century before, yes. If you visit the Arc d’Triomphe in Paris, inside it are stone plaques for each of Napoleon’s victories. Almost all of them are German, Austrian, or Czech placenames.


46 posted on 09/01/2024 9:59:36 AM PDT by Campion (Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - Little Flower)
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To: cgbg

Roger Waters may be despicable, but “Us And Them” says it better than anything I can imagine about that stupid war.


47 posted on 09/01/2024 10:00:43 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Campion

It wasn’t a century, it started in 1871 when Germany reunited.


48 posted on 09/01/2024 10:01:22 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Repealthe17thAmendment
Europe has been the site of war almost non-stop for more than two thousand years.

Europe is still paying in blood for the collapse of the Roman Empire.

49 posted on 09/01/2024 10:01:46 AM PDT by Publius
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To: dfwgator

And the British were more than ready to sink US ships (we were neutral) headed into German ports.


50 posted on 09/01/2024 10:02:15 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: HYPOCRACY

And the Ottomans were becoming very close to Germany in trade and arms.


51 posted on 09/01/2024 10:04:37 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: dfwgator

Almost certainly so


52 posted on 09/01/2024 10:05:24 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: Thud

> If only the Kaiser hadn’t been a fool… <

The Kaiser dismissed Bismarck in 1890. And Bismarck died in 1898. Yet it would have been interesting to see if WW1 could have been avoided if Bismarck were still advising the Kaiser.

“One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans.”

Otto von Bismarck (1888)


53 posted on 09/01/2024 10:07:45 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: hardspunned

If there is coming another world war, then what nations will make up each side?


54 posted on 09/01/2024 10:08:10 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: DIRTYSECRET

“If Trump loses it’s secession.”

You mean if it’s stolen again from Trump.


55 posted on 09/01/2024 10:08:33 AM PDT by KamperKen (u)
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To: jerod

Georgie made fun of Willie’s yachting shoes at the regatta and Nicky stopped answering any of Willie’s letters; the true causes of WW1.


56 posted on 09/01/2024 10:09:10 AM PDT by freefdny
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To: hardspunned

Read the book “The Sleepwalkers”. A very informative book about the political conditions that existed on both sides and led to the outbreak of war.


57 posted on 09/01/2024 10:09:50 AM PDT by Lmo56 (If y ...a wanna run with the big dawgs - ya gotta learn to piss in the tall grass ...)
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To: BradyLS

> Austria-Hungary should have accepted Serbia’s concessions even though they didn’t concede everything demanded of them. <

Yep. But if I recall correctly, the demands were crafted such that Serbia couldn’t accept them all. Austria-Hungary wanted to punish Serbia. A quick little local war, over in a month or so.

Not.


58 posted on 09/01/2024 10:10:47 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: hardspunned

If Austria-Hungary would have defeated Serbia quickly after declaring war on July 28th, there would have been no point to a greater war. Instead, AH delayed and when they finally invaded they were repulsed three times by Serbian and Montenegro.


59 posted on 09/01/2024 10:11:10 AM PDT by Vesuvian
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To: dfwgator

The French didn’t want to conquer Europe in 1871. Napoleon III foolishly thought he could teach the Prussians a lesson & provoked a war with them — and proceeded to lose everything: the war, his throne, Alsace-Lorraine, and gain a hostile, United German state on France’s border.


60 posted on 09/01/2024 10:12:27 AM PDT by Campion (Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - Little Flower)
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