what "caused" World War One
Michael Eisenstadt
austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
Sat Aug 21 10:08:02 2004
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i was desparately out of books to read
when i found out about Fritz Fischer.
He got to be the FIRST to see German
state archives about the Great War (WW I);
this was after 1945. also the French and
English archives were opened at this=20
time.
luckily his books written in German have=20
been translated and published in the US
in a nutshell:
even though no passports were needed
and money was counted in gold and freely=20
converted and the tourist biz was going great=20
guns and you could take the train to go all=20
over Europe, at the same time the heavy=20
thinkers who were writing and reading in their=20
comfy living rooms all over Germany believed=20
that the Latins (French, Italian) were=20
contemptible compared to Germany culture,
discipline and rectitude and that the Slavs=20
(Russians, Poles and all the other slavs in=20
the Balkans) were even MORE contemptible=20
than the Latins.
Russia was industrialising fast with=20
massive French capital investments
and planned to have a 2,000,000 strong
army (conscripted) in place by 1917.
The standing German army had been
raised to 600,000 but it was feared=20
that the balance of strength was
tipping inevitably in favor of Russia
and that Germany would lose THAT
war. So it was now or never (1914)
but the war plan assumed that they
could keep England out of the war.
Finish off France in 6 weeks while
the Austrians held the Russians
back, then finish off the Russians.
The war plan dictated the violation
of Belgium neutrality in order to
position the German army.=20
When they learned that England
WOULD come in if they invaded
Belgium, they realized that their=20
war plan assumption was flawed=20
but they went ahead anyway.
If they had won the Battle of the=20
Marne in 1914, they would have won
the war right then.=20
im only up to p 80 and there are=20
500+ pages to go. deelicious!
the other German historians were/are
very pissed at Fischer because they=20
claim that Wilhelmine Germany was=20
no more guilty for WW One than the=20
other parties; Fischer seems to have=20
proved otherwise
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>i was desparately out of books to read</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>when i found out about Fritz Fischer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>He got to be the FIRST to see German</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>state archives about the Great War (WW =
I);</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>this was after 1945. also the French =
and</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>English archives were opened at this </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>luckily his books written in German have =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>been translated and published in the US</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>in a nutshell:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>even though no passports were needed</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>and money was counted in gold and freely =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>converted </FONT><FONT size=3D2>and the tourist biz =
was going=20
great </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>guns </FONT><FONT size=3D2>and you could take the =
train to go=20
all </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>over </FONT><FONT size=3D2>Europe, at the same time =
the=20
</FONT><FONT size=3D2>heavy </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>thinkers who were writing and reading in their=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>comfy living rooms all over Germany believed=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>that </FONT><FONT size=3D2>the Latins (French, =
Italian) were=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>contemptible </FONT><FONT size=3D2>compared to =
Germany=20
culture,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>discipline and rectitude and </FONT><FONT =
size=3D2>that=20
</FONT><FONT size=3D2>the Slavs </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>(Russians, Poles and all </FONT><FONT size=3D2>the =
other slavs=20
in </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>the Balkans) were </FONT><FONT size=3D2>even MORE =
contemptible=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>than the Latins.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Russia was industrialising fast with </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>massive French capital investments</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>and planned to have a 2,000,000 strong</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>army (conscripted) in place by 1917.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The standing German army had been</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>raised to 600,000 but it was feared </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>that the balance of strength was</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>tipping inevitably in favor of Russia</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>and that Germany would lose THAT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>war. So it was now or never (1914)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>but the war plan assumed that they</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>could keep England out of the war.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Finish off France in 6 weeks while</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>the Austrians held the Russians</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>back, then finish off the Russians.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The war plan dictated the violation</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>of Belgium neutrality in order to</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>position the German army. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>When they learned that England</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>WOULD come in if they invaded</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Belgium, they realized </FONT><FONT size=3D2>that =
their=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>war plan assumption was </FONT><FONT size=3D2>flawed =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>but they went ahead anyway.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>If they had won the Battle of the </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Marne in 1914, they would have won</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>the war right then. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>im only up to p 80 and there are </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>500+ pages to go. deelicious!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>the other German historians were/are</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>very pissed at Fischer because </FONT><FONT =
size=3D2>they=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>claim that Wilhelmine </FONT><FONT size=3D2>Germany =
was=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>no more guilty for </FONT><FONT size=3D2>WW One than =
the=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>other parties; </FONT><FONT size=3D2>Fischer seems =
to=20
have </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>proved </FONT><FONT size=3D2>otherwise</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
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