Great Britain's Pretext for Starting WW1

[jwoodie]

In 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany to begin WW1. The pretext was that Germany had invaded the "neutral" country of Belgium. But was Belgium really neutral?

Germany first declared war on Russia after Russia's mobilization of troops near the German and Austro-Hungarian borders. In response, France AND BELGIUM ordered ordered full mobilization of their troops on their borders with Germany. Germany wanted to avoid a two-front war, and demanded that they stand down their troops. After they BOTH refused to stand down, Germany decided that it must end a war with France in the West before fighting the Russians in the East. Belgium refused the passage of German troops into France, which left the Alsace and Lorraine regions of of Germany vulnerable to French attack. Germany then declared war on France and Belgium and invaded both countries.

Fearing a German victory, Britain then claimed that an 1839 international treaty regarding Belgian neutrality gave it legal authority to declare war on Germany. This idea had previously been dismissed by the ruling Labour government, but the Conservative opposition cowed it into reversing its opinion after the German invasion. As a result of Britain's declaration of war, this European war was turned into a world-wide conflict.

 

[cnm]

Germany then declared war on France and Belgium and invaded both countries.

And Britain started WW1.

Right.

 

[DudleySmith]

lol

 

[DudleySmith]

Wilhelm II started WW I, period. Belgium was in the way.

 

[1srelluc]

WW-1 was started by a bunch of inbred monarchs, pure and simple.

 

[luiza]

Only International Bankers start wars and it is rather academic which Deep State faction / regional HQ acted out the pretext for WW1 .
At that time only the London square mile could have started it for the Federal Reserve shit machine had only been formalised a year before the outbreak, even though it had been many years in the making .

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Wilhelm II started WW I, period. Belgium was in the way.

Brussels Sprouts Cowardice and Dependence

The Belgians are gutless pacifists who rely on other countries to defend them. No country like that has a right to exist. Every small country must draft every male at the age of 18 and deserves no pity if it gets overrun for not defending itself by itself.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

WW-1 was started by a bunch of inbred monarchs, pure and simple.

Inherit Has No Merit

Heredity power is the root of all tyranny, incompetence, and exclusion. A country based on birth and not worth won't last much longer.

 

[martybegan]

WW-1 was started by a bunch of inbred monarchs, pure and simple.

The French were a Republic and they wanted the war to get back Alsace and Lorriane,

 

[1srelluc]

The French were a Republic and they wanted the war to get back Alsace and Lorriane,

Well they should have not got the ass handed to them in the Franco-Prussian War.

 

[whitehall]

Does it matter if Belgium was "neutral"? The scam was when former Princeton professor Wilson (or his wife) sent Doughboys to fight for France after he promised America that he would never send their boys to fight in a foreign war. We had to do it all over again in less than a quarter century.

 

[DudleySmith]

The French were a Republic and they wanted the war to get back Alsace and Lorriane,

So you mean Wilhelm gave them what they wanted?

 

[DudleySmith]

Best ever book on WW I is

Cataclysm: The First World War as Political Tragedy

David Stevenson's widely acclaimed history of World War…

www.goodreads.com

Followed by

Dreadnought - eBook

Dreadnought - eBook (9780307819932) by Robert K. Massie

www.christianbook.com

Between the two the readers will have a comprehensive background on it. Forget the conspiracy theory rubbish; it gives way too much credit to rather stupid 'elites', same as it does today.

 

[martybegan]

So you mean Wilhelm gave them what they wanted?

Yep.

WWII is the one they didn't want to fight.

 

[Mushroom]

But was Belgium really neutral?

Germany first declared war on Russia after Russia's mobilization of troops near the German and Austro-Hungarian borders. In response, France AND BELGIUM ordered ordered full mobilization of their troops on their borders with Germany.

Yes, it was neutral. Mobilizing your own military is expected at times of rising tensions, and it not an act of war. And the Schlieffen Plan was fairly well known, as the German War Plan for decades had been to start an offensive against France with a strike through Belgium and the Netherlands. The exact same thing they did again in WWII.

 

[Mushroom]

sent Doughboys to fight for France after he promised America that he would never send their boys to fight in a foreign war.

No, the President did that in response to Germany attempting to get another nation to invade the US. Which in itself was an act of war.

 

[jwoodie]

And Britain started WW1.

Right.

You don't seem to understand the difference between European Wars (e.g., Franco-Prussian) and World Wars. The former were always settled by negotiation and territorial adjustments, whereas the latter were settled by utter destruction and territorial dismemberment. Germany sought peace with Britain before these wars, but was rebuffed in both instances.

 

[Mushroom]

You don't seem to understand the difference between European Wars (e.g., Franco-Prussian) and World Wars. The former were always settled by negotiation and territorial adjustments, whereas the latter were settled by utter destruction and territorial dismemberment.

No, that is something you have created that only exists in your own head.

Tell me about all the nations that suffered total destruction in WWI.

No, the difference is the scale, as in general "World Wars" involve the major nations of the time in a conflict involving multiple theaters on multiple continents.

For example, indeed the Franco-Prussian War was a European War. To start out, do you know who was fighting? Yep, France and the German Confederation. And do you know where they were fighting? France and Prussia.

Now, if you want an early World War, look no farther than the Seven Years War. That involved all of the big nations of Europe at the time, and took place over five continents (only Australia and Antarctica were spared).

No, the problem is that you are attempting to use your own made-up definitions, which have nothing to do with it.

 

[DudleySmith]

Yep.

WWII is the one they didn't want to fight.

They built up their rail lines right up to the Belgian border in 1910-1912. They started threats and belligerence in the Med and South China Sea and in Africa. they started the 'Dreadnought' arms race with the Brits. Wilhelm II was an infantile spoiled brat who decided he deserved a big global empire like his cousins in England had. So yeah, he did want a fight, which was why he issued the 'Blank Check' to Austria/Hungary against both Russia and the Serbs.

Best book on WW I to date.

Cataclysm: David Stevenson on World War I as Political Tragedy

David Stevenson discusses the military and political decisions on both sides that led to World War I; the Eastern, Balkan, and Italian Fronts, which are often overlooked; the role of the colonies for the Allies; and much more.

www.carnegiecouncil.org

4 imperial dynasties died out in that war, which can also be seen as the last gasp of feudalism as a political influence in Europe.

 

[martybegan]

They built up their rail lines right up to the Belgian border in 1910-1912. They started threats and belligerence in the Med and South China Sea and in Africa. they started the 'Dreadnought' arms race with the Brits. Wilhelm II was an infantile spoiled brat who decided he deserved a big global empire like his cousins in England had. So yeah, he did want a fight, which was why he issued the 'Blank Check' to Austria/Hungary against both Russia and the Serbs.

Best book on WW I to date.

Cataclysm: David Stevenson on World War I as Political Tragedy

David Stevenson discusses the military and political decisions on both sides that led to World War I; the Eastern, Balkan, and Italian Fronts, which are often overlooked; the role of the colonies for the Allies; and much more.

www.carnegiecouncil.org

4 imperial dynasties died out in that war, which can also be seen as the last gasp of feudalism as a political influence in Europe.

What I am saying is the French wanted the fight as well. As did the Austrians to take care of Serbia. The Brits wanted it the least.