[Rockingham]

The era from the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914 is known as La Belle Époque (French for 'The Beautiful Era'). France was culturally admired, prosperous, and politically composed. For Germany, a country with a national anthem that called for her to be above all others in the world, a successful France in 1914 was seen as a menace.

In addition, France was aligned with Russia, which presented a major threat to Germany's eastern frontier. Instead of seeking peace, the German General Staff contrived the Schlieffen Plan and an army to carry it out. The plan called for a rapid and powerful march through Belgium into France and the capture of Paris for a quick victory. The plan failed, just barely.

[dfwgator]

For Germany, a country with a national anthem that called for her to be above all others in the world,

See #159

[Menes]

The national anthem of Germany was „Hail to thee in victor‘s crown“, just as America‘s was „My country, t’is of Thee, sweet land of liberty“. The melody was the same 🙂

The Deutschlandlied didn’t become the national anthem until 1922, and „über alles“ was supposed that the whole country should be estimated as more than its constituent parts.

Of course, the enemy propaganda didn’t see it that way….

[Campion]

For Germany, a country with a national anthem that called for her to be above all others in the world, a successful France in 1914 was seen as a menace.

The German national anthem in 1914 was Heil dir im Siegerkranz, an ode to the Kaiser sung to the same tune as God Save the King.

The piece you're thinking of, the Deutschlandlied, was written in the 1840's as a plea for Germans to put national unification above everything else.