reasons why ww1 was pointless

Fritz Fischer famously argued that they deliberately sought an external war to distract the population and to whip up patriotic support for the government. "[25] The impact of the Triple Entente was therefore twofold by improving British relations with France and its ally, Russia, and showing the importance to Britain of good relations with Germany. Armaments and negotiation, 1907-12v.7. Pity the poor historian, who must swim in a vast sea of official documents and self-justifying memoirs, wary of linguistic ambiguities and gloomily aware that the veil of secret diplomacy can never fully be pierced. He thought that businessmen, bankers, and financiers were generally against the war, as they viewed it as being perilous to economic prosperity. Economic rivalries existed but were framed largely by political concerns. You don't have to worry about being right, because nobody will know if you are wrong . The principal German and French military leaders, including Moltke, Ludendorff, and Joffre, expected a long war. Many German people complained of a need to conform to the euphoria around them, which allowed later Nazi propagandists to "foster an image of national fulfillment later destroyed by wartime betrayal and subversion culminating in the alleged Dolchstoss (stab in the back) of the army by socialists. Six Causes of World War I - Norwich University Online But most recent histories depict it as a necessary fight against German militarism. The attitude of the German government to Austro-Hungarian requests of support against Serbia was initially divided and inconsistent. Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, in May 1913. However, academic work in the English-speaking world in the late 1920s and the 1930s blamed the participants more equally. In addition, German diplomacy before, during, and after the Second Balkan War was pro-Greek and pro-Romanian and against Austria-Hungary's increasing pro-Bulgarian sympathies. The Treaty of Versailles was extremely harsh, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. In August 1914 The Independent magazine described the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife in June as a "deplorable but relatively insignificant" reason for which[6]. It was a sad, pointless war, for which were still paying a price. Germany's army collapsed as a series of mighty allied blows scythed through supposedly impregnable defences. "[40], In September 1913, it was learned that Serbia was moving into Albania, and Russia was doing nothing to restrain it, and the Serbian government would not guarantee to respect Albania's territorial integrity and suggested that some frontier modifications would occur. German mobilization plans assumed a two-front war against France and Russia and had the bulk of the German army massed against France and taking the offensive in the west, and a smaller force holding East Prussia. The territories together formed what was later known as Italian Libya. After Serbia complied, the Kaiser made a congratulatory visit to Vienna to try to fix some of the damage done earlier in the year. That move was prompted by Russia's need for an ally since it was experiencing a major famine and a rise in antigovernment revolutionary activities. The world was a nastier place after the war than before it. But something went wrong, very wrong for the fight that was thought to be over in 43 days on the western front ended up as a shoot out for four long years. In German culture the pre-Advent carnival season traditionally starts at 11.11 am on the 11th of November (St. Martin's Day). "From 'East to West', the 'world crisis' of 1905-1920: a re-reading of Elie Halvy.". A far higher proportion of the population of the British Isles were killed than the less than 2% who died in WW1. I doubt I could have endured what they did. Never have tactics and technology changed so radically in four years of fighting. Spain received British help to build the new Espaa-class battleship. "[43] Review Of The 2022/23 Winter In England ( norra lot of climate change) -, Heroic campaigner #ArronBanks defeats crazy cat lady #CaroleCadwalldr on appeal - time for the old bag to hand back her Orwell prize, Told y'all! Sources. No war in history attracts more controversy and myth than World War One. Trench warfare - World War I After the German Imperial War Council of 8 December 1912, it was clear that Germany was not ready to support Austria-Hungary in a war against Serbia and its likely allies. ", Kapp, Richard W. "Divided Loyalties: The German Reich and Austria-Hungary in Austro-German Discussions of War Aims, 19141916. But that is not true. Lloyd George's famous Mansion House speech of 21 July 1911 angered the Germans and encouraged the French. Biography of Czar Nicholas II, Last Czar of Russia. British commanders had been trained to fight small colonial wars; now they were thrust into a massive industrial struggle unlike anything the British army had ever seen. [100] Although Russia enjoyed a booming economy, growing population, and large armed forces, its strategic position was threatened by an expanding Ottoman military trained by German experts that was using the latest technology. World War 1 Dbq Essay. He argues, "The fact that so many plausible explanations for the outbreak of the war have been advanced over the years indicates on the one hand that it was massively overdetermined, and on the other that no effort to analyze the causal factors involved can ever fully succeed."[108]. [65] The impact of the Triple Entente was twofold: improving British relations with France and its ally, Russia, and showing the importance to Britain of good relations with Germany. Indeed, evidence is slim that weve grown wiser since the war intended to end all wars did nothing of the sort. [90] Britain ignored its small army and focused on building up the Royal Navy, which was already stronger than the next two navies combined. Did the Germans commit industrial scale war crimes? After their strained reception, they planned to visit their wounded countrymen before leaving the city. Between battles, a unit spent perhaps 10 days a month in the trench system and, of those, rarely more than three days right up on the front line. The Independent concluded that "such is the ridiculous and tragical situation resulting from the survival of the antiquated superstition of the 'balance of power,' that is, the theory that the prosperity of one nation was an injury to others":[6]. The start of the war renewed attention of old goals: expelling the Ottomans from Constantinople, extending Russian dominion into eastern Anatolia and Persian Azerbaijan, and annexing Galicia. Decisions for war, 1914-1917. For example, Russia warned France that the alliance would not operate if the French provoked the Germans in North Africa. "[10] By 1882, the Dual Alliance was expanded to include Italy. The most important alliances in Europe required participants to agree to collective defence if they were attacked. Evans, R. J. W. "The Greatest Catastrophe the World Has Seen", Lieber, Keir A. How did the war start? The announcement upset the fragile balance of power in the Balkans and enraged Serbia and pan-Slavic nationalists throughout Europe. Americans were only involved in The Great War for 19 months and compared with the other belligerents we didn't do much fighting. The Ottoman Empire lost nearly all of its territory in Europe. reasons why ww1 was pointless That changed in the last 18 to 24 months before the outbreak of the war. They were much more loose, much more porous, much more capable of change."[88]. Social Darwinism played an important role across Europe, but J. Leslie has argued that it played a critical and immediate role in the strategic thinking of some important hawkish members of the Austro-Hungarian government. Christopher Clark stated, "Italy launched a war of conquest on an African province of the Ottoman Empire, triggering a chain of opportunistic assaults on Ottoman territories across the Balkans. Eton alone lost more than 1,000 former pupils - 20% of those who served. The story of July 1914 is saturated in agency; Europes leaders were not driven over the brink by vast, impersonal forces. When World War I broke out across Europe in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the United States would remain neutral, and many Americans supported . By setting it apart as uniquely awful we are blinding ourselves to the reality of not just WW1 but war in general. The Agadir crisisv.8. "The First World War and International Relations Theory: A Review of Books on the 100th Anniversary. The Anglo-Russian rapprochment, 1903-7 -- v.5. Technology advanced by leaps and bounds (cars and airplanes) However, when it became clear that war was a possibility, share values dropped sharply, which suggested that investors did not see war as serving their interests. [102] British Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener expected a long war: "three years" or longer, he told an amazed colleague. [73] In Britain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, had been informed by the Governor of the Bank of England that business and financial interests opposed British intervention in the war. The poetry of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon; the image of troops as lions led by donkeys; and the poisonous consequences of the peace have all made the struggle seem to many a colossal waste. The armaments race was a necessary precondition for the outbreak of hostilities." But many scholars argue that a confluence of factors had been creating the conditions for conflict in Europe for decades prior. Plus massive and influential German diaspora. Instead, there are multiple causes any one or two of which could have launched the war. The counterevidence is distressingly abundant. So was it utterly pointless, or a Great War for Civilization? Scholars seeking short-term analysis focus on the summer of 1914 and ask whether the conflict could have been stopped, or instead whether deeper causes made it inevitable. The dtente was driven by Britain's desire for imperial security in relation to France in North Africa and to Russia in Persia and India. In early 1915, Germany introduced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic. The conclusion was that any war with Russia had to occur within the next few years to have any chance of success.[42]. [74][75], William Mulligan argues that while economic and political factors were often interdependent, economic factors tended towards peace. [39] The Bulgarian army crumbled quickly after the Ottoman Empire and Romania joined the war. Caprivi's strategy appeared to work when, during the outbreak of the Bosnian crisis of 1908, Germany successfully demanded that Russia step back and demobilize. . This is just another myth.During the war itself the Germans were portrayed back at home as barbarians. "[24] Ferguson argues that the British government rejected German alliance overtures "not because Germany began to pose a threat to Britain, but, on the contrary because they realized she did not pose a threat. Maybe you're reassessing your life because you've achieved your goals and still feel empty. The Hundred-Year Debate on the Origins of World War I. Crises came and went without appearing to threaten the existence of the system as such. The First World War was the worst act of political malpractice in history. There is no divine "plan"; decisions of war and peace are up to us and only us, and we own the results. In Britain in 1913, there was intense internal debate about new ships because of the growing influence of John Fisher's ideas and increasing financial constraints. At the end of 1911, particularly during the Balkan Wars in 19121913, the French view changed to accept the importance of the Balkans to Russia. Firstly, the different powers of the war had different imperial holdings. It was "not that antagonism toward Germany caused its isolation, but rather that the new system itself channeled and intensified hostility towards the German Empire. Their sons provided the junior officers whose job it was to lead the way over the top and expose themselves to the greatest danger as an example to their men. Why go through the trouble of giving characters an arc only to keep them around only by technicality and giving them a line of dialogue / description every 10 chapters or so. [29], Imperial rivalries pushed France, Germany, and Britain to compete for control of Morocco, leading to a short-lived war scare in 1911. Even though Russia had faced massive industrial unrest . The Nobility ruled the roost. The Causes and War Aims of World War One. How the First World War ended | The British Library The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was fought during the First World War from 1 July to 18 November 1916. Modern historians suggest a nuanced approach. Conservative estimates of the dead in the 14-year Taiping rebellion start at between 20 million and 30 million. Conservative estimates of the dead in the 14 . It demanded for Serbia to evacuate from Albania within eight days. Historians have cautioned that taken together, the preceding crises should not be seen as an argument that a European war was inevitable in 1914. Really? In advance, I thank you, Tom Winnifrith. There is no evidence they ever received a direct response from the Kaiser, chancellor, or foreign secretary or that their advice was discussed in depth by the Foreign Office or the General Staff. There were no major disputes there pitting any two European powers against each other.[67]. Men from higher social statuses became officers. Britain and France therefore had by far the most colonial territory at the start of the war, but this meant that the development of their domestic industries had slowed considerably, and their national wealth was now predominantly achieved through a return on financial investments (i.e., export of capital) in their colonies rather than through purchase on the global market of their domestically manufactured goods (i.e., export of commodities). Anthony Eden lost two brothers, another brother of his was terribly wounded, and an uncle was captured. Hamilton suggested that imperial ambitions may have been driven by groupthink - because every other country was doing it, policymakers would think that their country should do the same. The German leadership measured power not in financial ledgers but land and military might. 1930): 1:290-93. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, how so many soldiers survived the WW1 trenches, the plastic surgery techniques pioneered in WW1, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Sonic boom heard as RAF Typhoon jets escort plane, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Nelson's 97th-minute stunner gives Arsenal victory, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. The Origins of the First World War. Mulligan, William. Ultimately, the argument boils down to if changing the series of events leading up to WWI would have influenced the decisions to go to war. Germany had a Parliament and a powerful King (Kaiser) as did Britain. Most Americans Agree That WWII Was Justified. Recent - FiveThirtyEight In 1914 generals on horseback galloped across battlefields as men in cloth caps charged the enemy without the necessary covering fire. 4. By contrast, around 4% of the population of England and Wales, and considerably more than that in Scotland and Ireland, are thought to have been killed in the Civil War. But the scale of the slaughter was on a scale it is hard to comprehend. Russia's response was to encourage pro-Russian and anti-Austrian sentiment in Serbia and other Balkan provinces, provoking Austrian fears of Slavic expansionism in the region. Maybe your original goal was taken from you-a lost career, a health . And in the summer of 1914, the British were more concerned with Belfast than the Balkans. Poisonous gas filled a quarter of all the artillery shells fired on the western front in 1918. In fact, in the decade before the war, the Habsburg lands passed through a phase of strong widely shared economic growth. reasons why ww1 was pointless. The French protectorate over Morocco was established officially in 1912. [4] The crisis escalated as the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was joined by their allies Russia, Germany, France, and ultimately Belgium and the United Kingdom. pt.2. This meant U-Boats were hunting and sinking merchant shipping without warning. Several key factors played a part in this change of course. French sentiment was based on a desire to avenge military and territorial losses and the displacement of France as the pre-eminent continental military power. Decisions for war, 1914-1917. Hewitson, Mark. The First World War is often perceived as a war of attrition, a conflict in which each side tried to wear the other down by killing as many of its men as possible. What Were the 4 Main Causes of WW1 - History Just Got Interesting German isolation: a consequence of the Triple Entente? One of them hurled an explosive at the royal conveyance, but succeeded only in injuring the occupants of a following automobile. Most of the people concerned in the present conflict have neither racial antagonism nor economic interests as an excuse for enmity. The short-term cause was the fact that Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. The testing of the Entente, 1904-6 -- v.4. All war plans called for a decisive opening and assumed victory would come after a short war. Although more Britons died in WW1 than any other conflict, the bloodiest war in our history relative to population size is the Civil War, which raged in the mid-17th Century. The Black Hand believed that a Greater Serbia would be achieved by provoking a war with Austria-Hungary by an act of terror. [69] The largest and most lucrative uncolonized or semi-colonized territories at the time of the war were that of Persia (Iran), Turkey (including all of the pre-industrial territories of the declining Ottoman Empire), and most of China beyond the treaty ports. Germany had won decisively and established a powerful empire, but France fell into chaos and experienced a years-long decline in its military power. However, France was smaller than Germany in terms of population and industry and therefore many French felt insecure next to a more powerful neighbor. In addition to threatening Russia's foreign trade, half of which flowed through the Turkish Straits, the mission raised the possibility of a German-led Ottoman assault on Russia's Black Sea ports, and it imperiled Russian plans for expansion in eastern Anatolia. So begins the first chapter of the late historian John Keegan's The First World War. Prewar trade wars and financial rivalries never threatened to escalate into conflict. While the banks had ties to arms manufacturers, it was those companies that had links to the military, not the banks, which were pacifistic and profoundly hostile to the prospect of war. The Balkan wars, pt.1-2 -- v.10,pt.1. Tom Winnifrith Bearcast: surely this is straight to jail, do not pass Go, do not collect 400, Versarien Annual Report out: what it was hiding part 1 the heroic Graphene growth assumptions supporting nil impairment, BREAKING: Powerhouse Energy surely this is cut and dried industrial scale market abuse, BREAKING: Canadian Overseas Petroleum - the unexplained collapse in January output it is NOT telling you about, The cost of smoking by country - there are some great smuggling arbs here, Tom Winnifrith Bearcast - the problem with sacking people, the 3 xs. Satisfactory Essays. Honestly, it's basically a weird combination of actual positive Christian values of unity and loving thy neighbor combining with a massive case of post world war 1 buyers remorse of getting to watch all of your friends die in a utterly pointless war only to go home and realize everything you loved and knew about your country was wiped away by . "[55], The argument that Austria-Hungary was a moribund political entity, whose disappearance was only a matter of time, was deployed by hostile contemporaries to suggest that its efforts to defend its integrity during the last years before the war were, in some sense, illegitimate. reasons why ww1 was pointless But that does not mean that it was not pointless. Clark further argues that senior military officials favored continental intervention so as to head off Irish independence. Germany? World War I Timeline From 1914 to 1919. The Near East, 1903-9 -- v.6. After an Austrian and then an international naval demonstration in early 1912 and Russia's withdrawal of support, Serbia backed down. Other important long-term or structural factors that are often studied include unresolved territorial disputes, the perceived breakdown of the European balance of power,[1][2] convoluted and fragmented governance, the arms races of the previous decades, and military planning.[3]. The status of Morocco had been guaranteed by international agreement, and when France attempted a great expansion of its influence there without the assent of all other signatories, Germany opposed and prompted the Moroccan Crises: the Tangier Crisis of 1905 and the Agadir Crisis of 1911. 5 Reasons the United States Entered World War One Although the Haldane Mission of February 1912 failed to halt the Anglo-German naval arms race, the race suddenly paused in late 1912 as Germany cut its naval budget. Gary Sheffield is professor of war studies at the University of . Diplomatic history demands much of the most determined reader, but Clarks prose is clear and laced with color. Moreover, the Russians were again threatening British interests in Persia and India. 1. (According to Clark, the hypertrophic forms of masculinity then prevalent favored unyielding forcefulness over suppleness.) They were not pushed; Clark dismisses the myth that European men leapt at the opportunity to defeat a hated enemy. And some knew the risks of continental, industrialized conflict; British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith feared Armageddon, while others foresaw the extinction of civilization.. Other factors that came into play during the diplomatic crisis leading up to the war included misperceptions of intent (such as the German belief that Britain would remain neutral), the fatalistic belief that war was inevitable, and the speed with which the crisis escalated, partly due to delays and misunderstandings in diplomatic communications. In 1969, A. J. P. Taylor wrote that mobilization schedules were so rigid that once they were begun, they could not be canceled without massive disruption of the country and military disorganisation, and they could not proceed without physical invasion (of Belgium by Germany). The Great War left more than 20 million soldiers dead and 21 million more wounded, which can be attributed to trench warfare and the number of . Few but Pentecostals Realized that World War One was Pointless That is compounded by historical arguments changing over time, particularly as classified historical archives become available, and as perspectives and ideologies of historians have changed. The various national war plans had been perfected by 1914 but with Russia and Austria trailing in effectiveness. [72], Hamilton was more critical of the view that capitalists and business leaders drove the war. 52. Oblivious to the latter, Princess Sophie delighted in being by her husbands side amid pomp and ceremony, a privilege denied her in Vienna because of her modest origins and the emperors disapproval. It was, simply, the insanity of the only carnivorous species that kills its own kind for no good reason. It was the industrialised weaponry of World War I that made trench warfare the norm rather than an occasional strategy. Thus are the historiographical trenches dug for the centenary. Britain had the largest empire in the world and an historic monopoly on sea-trade in the Royal Navy, Russia had the second largest, and France had a modestly-sized empire. The deepest division among historians is between those who see Germany and Austria-Hungary as having driven events and those who focus on power dynamics among a wider set of actors and circumstances. In battle they were considerably closer to the action than generals are today. However, the term also had moral . It emphasised that struggle between nations and "races" was natural and that only the fittest nations deserved to survive. While some bankers and industrialists tried to curb Wilhelm II away from war, their efforts ended in failure. This is the date which is being commemorated as the close of the First World War.

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