Ww1, Why Did It All Kick Off?

[sandyRoe]

Can the blame be laid squarely at the door of the arrogant Germans, or were there more complex reasons?

[sandyRoe]

Was that the basis for the Humphrey Bogard film, The African Queen?

[stewey]

Apparently that movie was very loosely based upon the incident. I have read the book two or three times and will probably read it again.

[stewey]

Going back to your original question, Sandy, from what I have read in both non-fiction and fiction, and seen in newsreel clips the great British aristocracy were extremely arrogant; it wasn't just "the arrogant Germans".

[Peter Pedant]

Think back to your O levels Sandy
this as a certain last question for those doing papers 5 and 6 1760-1914

the short answer is Yes there were more complex reasons

[sandyRoe]

O Levels, indeed any exams, were not for the likes of us. In our school there was a stream made up, I think, of 11+ failures who were put forward for exams.

[Nibble]

Stewey, thanks for giving my memory a twitch, as we have a very similar book, written by Hugh Wray McCann

http://www.abebooks.com/UTMOST-FISH-HUGH-WRAY-McCANN-PANTHER/6781516961/bd

A Jolly Jape indeed!

[Barks]

Like most things it all boils down to alliances and agendas

Austria-Hungary was itching to put Serbia in it's place after a number of disagreements and economic embargoes

Germany, although only a young country had already been to war with France in 1870-71 resulting in the annexation of Alsace and Lorraine and the occupation of a huge chunk of NE France until reparation payments were complete. Germany pledged to support Austria-Hungary against Serbia in return for support for territorial ambitions in Russia.
Bismarck had always persued a policy of keeping France isolated from potential allies by exploited the traditional emnity with Great Britain etc.
When Kaiser Wilhelm succeeded the throne he was envious of the British and French holdings around the world and demanded a German "place in the sun" much against the advice of Bismarck. When The Iron Chancellor was finally sacked Wilhelms naked ambitions achieved what Bismarck specifically feared - an alliance between France and Russia which became the Triple Entente when Britain signed up

All that was missing was a reason for it to all kick off; this was conveniently supplied when Archduke Ferdinands chauffeur got lost in the centre of Sarajevo and gave Serb seperatist Gavrilo Princip a second chance to empty his revolver into the Archduke and Duchess. Although he was not particularly well liked, even by his family by all accounts, once the support of the Serb intelligence services was discovered, Austria-Hungary seized on the event and everything else fell into place

[colinwells4]

4th August 1914

[colinwells4]

The Austrians precipitated it with their policy on Serbia;but it was Germany's war and they very Quickly were the main axis power.

[sandyRoe]

A date that paved the way for nearly a century of political misery. It led to Soviet Russia, the rise of the Nazis, the Cold War, and,
indirectly, unrest in the Islamic world.

[sandyRoe]

Didn't they already have Namibia and somewhere in West Africa?

[jeffa]

While the UK ruled approximately a quarter of the globe. Blackadder Goes Forth might have been great comedy, but it was pretty much on the money on that score, sharpened fruit notwithstanding.

[sandyRoe]

Blackadder was right. Natives threw spears and stones at the British troops who came to occupy their lands, while they had rifles. It wasn't a fair match.

[jeffa]

"When I joined up we were still fighting colonial wars. If you met someone in a skirt, you shot him and stole his country."

Genius, but totally accurate.

[goodlife]

Historians widely agree that World War I was the first war on a global scale. Comparing World War I with previous major wars.

Sandy @ Could it be mere coincidence that Jesus predicted world war food shortages and earthquakes ? Even if Jesus could have guessed that world war would be followed by famine, how could he have guessed that earthquakes would increase in frequency a long with all the weather changes? How could he have foreseen the total wars that technology would make possible only in our century.
And more Jesus said that because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off,
People have lost much of their neighbor love, but even worse than that, in recent years you seen they have lost their love for God. Have you noticed the same thing?

But Jesus was not interested in depressing poeple with bad news about the future. No, he had a positive message.(Mat 24 :14)