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World War One And The 'Short-War Illusion 2014 (Sound familiar?)
SkyNews ^ | 08/02/2014 | Professor David Stevenson

Posted on 03/13/2023 2:57:45 PM PDT by Az Joe

Despite the final horrific death toll, many believed war in Europe would be over in months, writes a leading historian.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: europe; war; worldwari; ww1
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In August 1914 German Emperor Wilhelm II famously promised to his departing troops that they would return before the autumn leaves fell.

Yet most of Europe's military chiefs did not, in fact, expect a short war.

The Chief of the German General Staff had predicted a struggle lasting between 18 months and two years. His French and Austrian opposite numbers took a similar view.

1 posted on 03/13/2023 2:57:45 PM PDT by Az Joe
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To: Az Joe

It’s bad when the headline is off by 100 years.


2 posted on 03/13/2023 2:59:30 PM PDT by immadashell (Save Innocent Lives: Ban Gun Free Zones)
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To: Az Joe

Lots of Germans and French young men, signing up for the war, expected it to be short.


3 posted on 03/13/2023 3:02:20 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: immadashell

What are you talking about?


4 posted on 03/13/2023 3:05:59 PM PDT by Az Joe (Live free or die)
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To: Az Joe; marktwain

I think Britain’s war propaganda also promised “home by Christmas.” Perhaps every nations’ propaganda did so. At the very least, they encouraged that expectation among the recruits.


5 posted on 03/13/2023 3:10:58 PM PDT by Angelino97
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To: Az Joe

Attempts at making historical analogies/parallels between two sets of events in two time periods are most often wrong, because they leave out too many variables that are different and as much factors in the consequences as anything else.


6 posted on 03/13/2023 3:11:35 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Az Joe

The Civil War was supposed to be over in a month. A senator said all of he blood that would be spilled could be wiped up with a pocket hankie.


7 posted on 03/13/2023 3:16:40 PM PDT by Spok
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To: Az Joe

The main difference between 1914 and 2023 is that in 1914 there were two alliances at war with each other. In 2023 there’s Russia facing off mostly alone (does Belarus really count?) against Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, France, the UK, the USA, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, and of course, Ukraine.

There is no grand alliance backing Russia. They stand alone.


8 posted on 03/13/2023 3:17:14 PM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
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To: marktwain

Today, yes.

Back then, no.

http://www.gallup-international.bg/files/2015/05/images_Fight_0515_2.jpg

Western Europe is a weak old man waiting to be knocked down by some younger meaner guy. They have no will to fight. A few do, but they are the minority and in fact are seen as weird by the majority of appeasing, pacifist, socialist, homo, emasculated society. Being a real man damn near makes you a threat in that society, but that is happening here too just to a slightly lesser degree for now.

Look at the attack on the UFC, boxing, football... guns, hunting... Look at how men are being feminized and male communication, leadership and conflict resolution are all seen as bad.

While we talk about the patriarchy, the reality has a society majority women (men manage to eliminate themselves at a sooner age from society) and they vote more often and have jobs and money. So society today has become DEFINED by women in the West may that be in education (completely defined by women) or the law (example divorce which strongly favors women with alimony, child custody, or if domestic violence is alleged, etc).


9 posted on 03/13/2023 3:19:08 PM PDT by Red6
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To: Wuli

+1 πŸ‘


10 posted on 03/13/2023 3:24:19 PM PDT by MotorCityBuck (lol Keep the change, you filthy animal! )
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To: MeganC

And they are winning. Lol. Some alliance ya got there.πŸ˜‚


11 posted on 03/13/2023 3:26:38 PM PDT by MotorCityBuck (lol Keep the change, you filthy animal! )
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To: Az Joe

Political leaders always imagine that wars will be short and that they can control the course that wars will take.

But wars take on a life of their own. They go on for far longer than anyone predicts, and they are very expensive in lives and money.

It’s why we shouldn’t let fools drag us into wars that we can avoid. Bring back the draft. Watch how quickly the zeal for war evaporates when the dead and the damaged start coming back home.


12 posted on 03/13/2023 3:29:31 PM PDT by Pelham
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To: MotorCityBuck

Ukraine is indeed winning against the barbarians from Russia.


13 posted on 03/13/2023 3:30:15 PM PDT by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
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To: MeganC

Yet Russia controls about 1/3 of Ukraine at this time. Winning???


14 posted on 03/13/2023 3:48:35 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: packrat35

I just asked my smart speakers how much Russia controls and it said about 18%, They are sputtering and they will not hold it much longer.


15 posted on 03/13/2023 3:59:02 PM PDT by amnestynone (We are asked by people who do not tolerate us to tolerate the intolerable in the name of tolerance.)
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To: Az Joe

It wasn’t that the generals were stupid or oblivious to the challenges of trenches, quite the opposite. They kept hoping for a “quick knockout” to avoid the trenches, then one battle at a time got drawn into precisely the kind of warfare they wanted to avoid.


16 posted on 03/13/2023 4:03:43 PM PDT by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually" (Hendrix) )
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To: amnestynone

Crimea is more than 18%


17 posted on 03/13/2023 4:05:01 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: Red6
We have been living in Matriarchy for some time.

Women simply do not wish to do the hard work of governing, so they elect mostly men to do it for them.

Look who has the money and the votes. Both are majority controlled by women.

I think we agree on this.

18 posted on 03/13/2023 4:11:53 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: packrat35
That went to Russia before this started so it was not counted (apparently). Hopefully it wont remain with them for long.
19 posted on 03/13/2023 4:20:55 PM PDT by amnestynone (We are asked by people who do not tolerate us to tolerate the intolerable in the name of tolerance.)
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To: MeganC

How many illegal alien invaders would follow orders from Putin, Xi, AMLO, of the mullahs to take up arms in these western nations? Especially unarmed Europe.


20 posted on 03/13/2023 4:51:41 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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