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Jack Beatty's "Lost History of 1914"
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Dom
Feb 29, 2012, 7:58:35 AM2/29/12
to
The second hour of the 28 Feb 2012 "On Point" program
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/02/28/the-great-war
discussed Jack Beatty's http://www.amazon.com/Lost-History-1914-Reconsidering-Great/dp/0802778119/
According to Beatty, until the 1960s, the war was viewed as an
inevitable consequence of the alliance systems and economic/political
rivalries. Then Fritz Fischer's http://www.amazon.com/Germanys-Aims-First-World-War/dp/0393097986/
presented the war as having been chosen/desired/conspired in Berlin
and Vienna. The current view, following the publication of
http://www.amazon.com/Decisions-War-1914-1917-Richard-Hamilton/dp/0521545307/
, is that the war resulted from a series of choices, made by coteries
of 6 to 8 people in various European Capitals.
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/02/28/the-great-war
discussed Jack Beatty's http://www.amazon.com/Lost-History-1914-Reconsidering-Great/dp/0802778119/
According to Beatty, until the 1960s, the war was viewed as an
inevitable consequence of the alliance systems and economic/political
rivalries. Then Fritz Fischer's http://www.amazon.com/Germanys-Aims-First-World-War/dp/0393097986/
presented the war as having been chosen/desired/conspired in Berlin
and Vienna. The current view, following the publication of
http://www.amazon.com/Decisions-War-1914-1917-Richard-Hamilton/dp/0521545307/
, is that the war resulted from a series of choices, made by coteries
of 6 to 8 people in various European Capitals.
euno...@yahoo.com.au
Mar 31, 2012, 6:54:11 PM3/31/12
to
On Feb 29, 10:58 pm, Dom <DR...@teikyopost.edu> wrote:
> The second hour of the 28 Feb 2012 "On Point" program
>
> http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/02/28/the-great-war
>
> discussed Jack Beatty'shttp://www.amazon.com/Lost-History-1914-Reconsidering-Great/dp/080277...
> The second hour of the 28 Feb 2012 "On Point" program
>
> http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/02/28/the-great-war
>
>
> According to Beatty, until the 1960s, the war was viewed as an
> inevitable consequence of the alliance systems and economic/political
> rivalries. Then Fritz Fischer'shttp://www.amazon.com/Germanys-Aims-First-World-War/dp/0393097986/
> According to Beatty, until the 1960s, the war was viewed as an
> inevitable consequence of the alliance systems and economic/political
> presented the war as having been chosen/desired/conspired in Berlin
> and Vienna. The current view, following the publication ofhttp://www.amazon.com/Decisions-War-1914-1917-Richard-Hamilton/dp/052...
> , is that the war resulted from a series of choices, made by coteries
> of 6 to 8 people in various European Capitals.
Beatty has discovered and analysed some stunning new original source
> of 6 to 8 people in various European Capitals.
material. The new perspetives are clearly going to upset people that
have been teaching something looking decidely nonsensical now. It is
no suprise they have tried to find a middle ground. It also raises
the whole "German War Guilt" issue again. It's clear they really
didn't want the war.
Dom
Apr 1, 2012, 5:46:17 PM4/1/12
to
On Mar 31, 6:54 pm, "eunome...@yahoo.com.au" <eunome...@yahoo.com.au>
wrote:
The Kaiser wanted to remain in Berlin until the crisis was resolved.
But his aides convinced him to leave for his annual cruise of the
North Sea on 6 July 1914. It has been speculated that some members of
the High Command wanted him out of the way lest he should lose his
nerve again (the Kaiser had blocked them when they had wanted to
intervene in the Balkan Wars of 1912-13). The Kaiser made erratic
attempts to stay on top of the crisis via telegrams, and he supported
the harsh terms of the ultimatum. When the ultimatum was delivered to
Serbia, the Kaiser hurried back to Berlin. He reached Berlin on July
28, read a copy of the Serbian reply, and wrote on it:
"Eine brillante Leistung fur eine Frist von bloss 48 Stunden! Das ist
mehr, als man erwarten konnte! Ein grosser moralischer Erfolg fur
Wien; aber damit fallt jeder Kriegsgrung fort, und (der Gesandte)
Giesl hatte ruhig in Belgrad bleiben sollen. Daraufhin hatte ich
niemals Mobilmachung befohlen!" [Emil Ludwig, "Wilhelm der Zweite,"
Ernst Rowohlt Verlag, Berlin, 1926, p 421].
"A brilliant solution--and in barely 48 hours! This is more than could
have been expected. A great moral victory for Vienna; but with it
every pretext for war falls to the ground, and [the Ambassador] Giesl
had better have stayed quietly at Belgrade. On this document, I should
never have given orders for mobilization." [Emil Ludwig, "Wilhelm
Hohenzollern: The Last of the Kaisers," G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York
(1927) p. 444 (translated by Ethel Colburn Mayne)
http://www.amazon.com/Wilhelm-Hohenzollern-Kaisers-Translated-Colburn/dp/B000KIRHEO/
]
Unknown to the Kaiser, inept Austro-Hungarian ministers and generals
had alread persuaded the 84-year-old Emperor Francis Joseph to sign
the declaration of war against Serbia.
When Edward Grey's made the belated ultimatum, the panic-stricken
Kaiser attempted to switch the main attack against Russia. This is
described in Ludwig (1927) p 453. When Helmuth von Moltke (the
younger) told him that this was impossible, the Kaiser said: "Your
uncle would have given me a different answer."
According to Michael Balfour's "The Kaiser and his Times"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393006611/ , page 355, when the
Austro-Serb conflict expanded into a European war, the Kaiser is
reported to have said: "To think that George and Nicky should have
played me false! If my grandmother [Queen Victoria] had been alive,
she would never have allowed it."
wrote:
But his aides convinced him to leave for his annual cruise of the
North Sea on 6 July 1914. It has been speculated that some members of
the High Command wanted him out of the way lest he should lose his
nerve again (the Kaiser had blocked them when they had wanted to
intervene in the Balkan Wars of 1912-13). The Kaiser made erratic
attempts to stay on top of the crisis via telegrams, and he supported
the harsh terms of the ultimatum. When the ultimatum was delivered to
Serbia, the Kaiser hurried back to Berlin. He reached Berlin on July
28, read a copy of the Serbian reply, and wrote on it:
"Eine brillante Leistung fur eine Frist von bloss 48 Stunden! Das ist
mehr, als man erwarten konnte! Ein grosser moralischer Erfolg fur
Wien; aber damit fallt jeder Kriegsgrung fort, und (der Gesandte)
Giesl hatte ruhig in Belgrad bleiben sollen. Daraufhin hatte ich
niemals Mobilmachung befohlen!" [Emil Ludwig, "Wilhelm der Zweite,"
Ernst Rowohlt Verlag, Berlin, 1926, p 421].
"A brilliant solution--and in barely 48 hours! This is more than could
have been expected. A great moral victory for Vienna; but with it
every pretext for war falls to the ground, and [the Ambassador] Giesl
had better have stayed quietly at Belgrade. On this document, I should
never have given orders for mobilization." [Emil Ludwig, "Wilhelm
Hohenzollern: The Last of the Kaisers," G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York
(1927) p. 444 (translated by Ethel Colburn Mayne)
http://www.amazon.com/Wilhelm-Hohenzollern-Kaisers-Translated-Colburn/dp/B000KIRHEO/
]
Unknown to the Kaiser, inept Austro-Hungarian ministers and generals
had alread persuaded the 84-year-old Emperor Francis Joseph to sign
the declaration of war against Serbia.
When Edward Grey's made the belated ultimatum, the panic-stricken
Kaiser attempted to switch the main attack against Russia. This is
described in Ludwig (1927) p 453. When Helmuth von Moltke (the
younger) told him that this was impossible, the Kaiser said: "Your
uncle would have given me a different answer."
According to Michael Balfour's "The Kaiser and his Times"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393006611/ , page 355, when the
Austro-Serb conflict expanded into a European war, the Kaiser is
reported to have said: "To think that George and Nicky should have
played me false! If my grandmother [Queen Victoria] had been alive,
she would never have allowed it."
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