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David Lloyd George on Edward Grey
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Dom
Mar 5, 2012, 2:45:53 PM3/5/12
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In ["War Memoirs," Vol 1 1914-1915, Little, Brown, and Co. (1935)],
David Lloyd George expressed the following opinions about Edward Grey
in pp. 85-86.
War Memoirs of David Lloyd George is a condensed version of the
complete Memoirs.
===========
I am inclined to believe that the verdict of posterity will be adverse
to his handling of the situation.
Of one thing there can be no doubt: he failed calamitously in his
endeavours to avert the Great War. [... The facts] tell a tale of a
pilot whose hand trembled in the palsy apprehension, unable to grip
the lever and manipulate them with a firm and clear purpose. He was
pursuing his avowed policy of waiting for public opinion to decide his
direction for him.
[H]e could have intimated to the German Government that if they put
into operation their plan of marching through Belgium they would
encounter the active hostility of the British Empire. And he could
have uttered this warning in sufficient time to leave the German
military authorities without any excuse for not changing their dust-
laden plans. When the [British] ultimatum was actually delivered, war
had already broken out between Germany and her neighbours, and the
German staff were able with some show of reason to inform the Kaiser
that it was then too late to alter their arrangements without
jeopardizing the German chance of victory. As a matter of fact, the
Kaiser was even then anxious, in order to avoid a conflict with us, to
divert his forces from the Belgian frontier, and turn their faces
toward the East. Von Moltke gave him the answer which I have already
indicated.
It was a temperamental failure. Grey's mind was not made for prompt
action.
David Lloyd George expressed the following opinions about Edward Grey
in pp. 85-86.
War Memoirs of David Lloyd George is a condensed version of the
complete Memoirs.
===========
I am inclined to believe that the verdict of posterity will be adverse
to his handling of the situation.
Of one thing there can be no doubt: he failed calamitously in his
endeavours to avert the Great War. [... The facts] tell a tale of a
pilot whose hand trembled in the palsy apprehension, unable to grip
the lever and manipulate them with a firm and clear purpose. He was
pursuing his avowed policy of waiting for public opinion to decide his
direction for him.
[H]e could have intimated to the German Government that if they put
into operation their plan of marching through Belgium they would
encounter the active hostility of the British Empire. And he could
have uttered this warning in sufficient time to leave the German
military authorities without any excuse for not changing their dust-
laden plans. When the [British] ultimatum was actually delivered, war
had already broken out between Germany and her neighbours, and the
German staff were able with some show of reason to inform the Kaiser
that it was then too late to alter their arrangements without
jeopardizing the German chance of victory. As a matter of fact, the
Kaiser was even then anxious, in order to avoid a conflict with us, to
divert his forces from the Belgian frontier, and turn their faces
toward the East. Von Moltke gave him the answer which I have already
indicated.
It was a temperamental failure. Grey's mind was not made for prompt
action.
Stephen Graham
Mar 5, 2012, 5:27:44 PM3/5/12
to
On 3/5/2012 11:45 AM, Dom wrote:
> [H]e could have intimated to the German Government that if they put
> into operation their plan of marching through Belgium they would
> encounter the active hostility of the British Empire. And he could
> have uttered this warning in sufficient time to leave the German
> military authorities without any excuse for not changing their dust-
> laden plans.
Or they could simply have referred to the 1839 Treaty of London.
> [H]e could have intimated to the German Government that if they put
> into operation their plan of marching through Belgium they would
> encounter the active hostility of the British Empire. And he could
> have uttered this warning in sufficient time to leave the German
> military authorities without any excuse for not changing their dust-
> laden plans.
Perhaps you should bear in mind that Lloyd George may have been pursuing
his own political ends in say this.
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