“They didn’t have a choice once France and Russia mobilized, and Russia invaded.”
Ha! Congratulations, you’ve fallen for Germany’s propaganda. Mobilization does not equal war. Never did, never will. Germany invaded first (Belgium, that is). Russia didn’t invade until after Germany declared war on them.
“They hoped Britain would stay out of it, but the Schlieffen Plan left them no other options.”
I don’t understand this.
“Their first choice was to stay out of war.”
“What evidence is there for this claim?
Diplomacy is important, because the whole powder keg exploded because of failures in diplomacy.”
Yes, but not in the way it’s usually presented. The nations Germany eventually went to war with failed diplomatically in the sense that they did not accurately demonstrate their willingness to fight.
“You are right that technologically they were considered to be the best on land, but what did Britain care what they did in Europe?”
Do you seriously think Britain was neutral as to who dominated the European continent? Then why did they go to war after all?
They had been neutral in European conflicts since Crimea, 60 years prior to the first world war.
The Entente was signed in 1904. The Schlieffen Plan was intially designed the year after. If the plan were designed to be an offensive plan, why did Germany wait 10 years to implement it?
It was designed as a reaction to the Entente as a defensive counterattack to the alliance of France and Russian.