“Germany didn’t smell any weakness.”
They did, or else they wouldn’t have fought. They may have banked on Britain staying out of it, but that’s only a different sort of weakness.
“Ridiculous. Britain practiced Splendid Isolation after Crimea. Their best allies were the Germans on the continent, to contain France on the continent.”
It was a long time between the 1850s and 1914. This was the period, in fact, during which Germany became a world power. And if Britain didn’t immediately see them as a threat, they obviously eventually did. Hence all the arms control agreements, designed to keep Germany from catching up with the big boys.
“It’s only after the Russians and the Germans fell out that Germany felt ‘trapped’”
Whatever. You can justify pretty much everything under the sun by saying you feel trapped. The Nazis argued the exact same thing, hence the battle cry of “lebensraum.” The Soviets could’ve argued similarly. Doesn’t justify starting wars, conquering continents, and empire-building.
“Even after the buildup their navy was nothing compared to Britain, which is why the naval war was a mere sideshow”
I’m scratching my head as to the relevance of this.
“They fought in 1914, after Russia mobilized, because they had no choice.”
BS. Russia mobilizing was not at the time considered casus belli. If Germany took it as such, they would have been at least in violation of various principles of diplomacy and international law. But they didn’t, as it turns out. Using Russia as casus belli was a lie, specifically tailored to trick people like you.
Germany had a choice, and they made it.
“Despite being massively outnumbered, the Germans fought for 4 years on the continent and it took bringing the US, to end the war. Germany managed to fight the three world powers at the time to a standstill...Had France surrendered in 1917, the war would have ended, with Germany defending her possessions in the west, and owning most of former Poland and Lithuania in the east.”
Hooray for Germany!
“far larger and more powerful at the time”
Larger, yes, but obviously not more powerful. Unless you mean something like “latently powerful.” As I’ve always said, hold latent power in one hand and poop in the other, see what gets filled first.
“The typical balance under Metternich was France + Austria + Spain, vs Prussia, Russia and Britain. Austria and Germany were natural rivals, as were France and Russia, as were Britain and Spain. Once the Russian and German alliance fell out, the only natural partner was Austria.”
You fall here into the Kissenger trap, viewing competing nations as fundamentally similar. Often they are, but not always. You must treat an aggressor differently than a mere rival. The balance of power after 1815 was not comparable to the balance in, for instance, 1914, 1939, or 1945. I’d like to have seen Metternich keep the peace with Napoleon in the picture.
“They did, or else they wouldn’t have fought.”
They didn’t have a choice once France and Russia mobilized, and Russia invaded.
“They may have banked on Britain staying out of it, but that’s only a different sort of weakness.”
They hoped Britain would stay out of it, but the Schlieffen Plan left them no other options. Their first choice was to stay out of war.
“It was a long time between the 1850s and 1914. This was the period, in fact, during which Germany became a world power. And if Britain didn’t immediately see them as a threat, they obviously eventually did.”
They weren’t really considered to be a threat, until after Bismarck left and the diplomacy changed. Bismarck understood two things, that Germany only could be formed with the isolation of France, and the only way Germany could do so is by allying with Russia and Britain against Austria and France.
Religion wise, the alliance between Germany and Britain made sense. When the league of three emperors fell apart, and the Entente formed, Germany was the isolated power, not France. This left her in a much weaker position. Diplomacy is important, because the whole powder keg exploded because of failures in diplomacy.
“Hence all the arms control agreements, designed to keep Germany from catching up with the big boys.”
The point being that if you include the French Empire and the British Empire and compare it to the German Empire, the German Empire was far weaker than both. Far weaker even than the Russian Empire in terms of manpower.
You are right that technologically they were considered to be the best on land, but what did Britain care what they did in Europe?
“The Nazis argued the exact same thing, hence the battle cry of “lebensraum.” The Soviets could’ve argued similarly. Doesn’t justify starting wars, conquering continents, and empire-building.”
The Nazis were not the same as the Kaiserreich. It’s a real pity that Wilson intervened because it was a ‘nice job breaking it’ hero. America intervened too late to do any good, and early enough to still get involved. Had America intervened early along with the rest of Britain’s allies and Empire, the war would have ended quickly. That she waited until 1917, when the war was nearly lost, cost the stable governance in not just Germany, but Austria as well. Yes, two Kings were toppled, but the Kaiserreich wasn’t the Nazis.
The whole second world war could have been prevented had America either intervened early or stayed out of it. As usual, America intervened to protect their communist allies.
“Even after the buildup their navy was nothing compared to Britain, which is why the naval war was a mere sideshow”
I’m scratching my head as to the relevance of this.
“They fought in 1914, after Russia mobilized, because they had no choice.”
BS. Russia mobilizing was not at the time considered casus belli. If Germany took it as such, they would have been at least in violation of various principles of diplomacy and international law. But they didn’t, as it turns out. Using Russia as casus belli was a lie, specifically tailored to trick people like you.
Germany had a choice, and they made it.
“Despite being massively outnumbered, the Germans fought for 4 years on the continent and it took bringing the US, to end the war. Germany managed to fight the three world powers at the time to a standstill...Had France surrendered in 1917, the war would have ended, with Germany defending her possessions in the west, and owning most of former Poland and Lithuania in the east.”
Hooray for Germany!
“far larger and more powerful at the time”
Larger, yes, but obviously not more powerful. Unless you mean something like “latently powerful.” As I’ve always said, hold latent power in one hand and poop in the other, see what gets filled first.
“The typical balance under Metternich was France + Austria + Spain, vs Prussia, Russia and Britain. Austria and Germany were natural rivals, as were France and Russia, as were Britain and Spain. Once the Russian and German alliance fell out, the only natural partner was Austria.”
You fall here into the Kissenger trap, viewing competing nations as fundamentally similar. Often they are, but not always. You must treat an aggressor differently than a mere rival. The balance of power after 1815 was not comparable to the balance in, for instance, 1914, 1939, or 1945. I’d like to have seen Metternich keep the peace with Napoleon in the picture.