Pre-Nazi Germany: The Path to War

[Big Steamers]

Before 1870, Germany was just another network of savage tribes who had been continually harassed by Turks, Vikings and the French. However, at this time, they had taken upon the notion of civilization and decided to cast aside their barbaric ways, as all do in the same manner.

Germany, not quite the seafaring nation took an inward approach (toward the eastern borders), nothing new, but also took a very isolationist approach to her economy. The pay off for Gemany would be a secure alliance with Austria and Hungary.

Motivation to protect the eastern border arose from Russia and her growth. The industrialization of Russia led Germany to establish an inward policy toward East Europe as the Ottoman's army moved out and Russia's army moved in. This meant having the Germany army in Eastern Europe while Russia would do likewise.

The story of the great world wars is this: German hostility towards Russia lead to a giagantic set of wars which left Germany no better off than they were in 1870 and left Russia far superior to Germany.

Of course the English, French and Americans, etc, etc.

[supperrfreek]

you forgot to mention the prussians, the driving force for german unification Otto Von Bismarck, Moltke, Clausewitz, Schlieffen and the Wilhelm family. These guys were the muscle behind german unification and the first world war. but basically your right.
You forgot to mention the arms race and the alliance with the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburg dynasty as well.

[Mantikore]

Arms race with Britain

Alsace Lorraine

Blank cheque to Austria-hungary after Franz Ferdinand was killed

Schlieffen plan. huge gamble

National pride

Ignorance of the nature of 20th century warfare, by politicians, generals and the people on all sides

[the phantom stranger]

In the mid 1800's Germany was an agricultural semi-feudal country to an extent behind both England and France but it was by no means "just another network of savage tribes".

Germany an isolationist approach to her economy? By the start of WW1 Germany was an imperialist capitalist power. The story of the great world wars doesn't boil down to German hostility towards Russia as the cause. Germany didn't fear Russia. At the start of WW1 Russia was economically far behind. The reason for WW1 was the then world imperialist capitalist powers, England, France, (whom Germany did fear as competitors) and Germany fighting among each other in an attempt to divide the world. In a mad scramble for aquiring foreign markets and territories and spheres of influence. WW2 was the continuation of that.

[Big Steamers]

Originally Posted by the phantom stranger

In the mid 1800's Germany was an agricultural semi-feudal country to an extent behind both England and France but it was by no means "just another network of savage tribes".

Germany an isolationist approach to her economy? By the start of WW1 Germany was an imperialist capitalist power. The story of the great world wars doesn't boil down to German hostility towards Russia as the cause. Germany didn't fear Russia. At the start of WW1 Russia was economically far behind. The reason for WW1 was the then world imperialist capitalist powers, England, France, (whom Germany did fear as competitors) and Germany fighting among each other in an attempt to divide the world. In a mad scramble for aquiring foreign markets and territories and spheres of influence. WW2 was the continuation of that.

That's nice. I would tell that to my children if I had any, but the cause for war was close to home where fighting took place. The majority of major battles occured somewhere on the frontlines of the east and west front bordering France, Germany and Germany, Russia.

No nation could afford to fight this heavily industrialized war abroad, say in Africa, and hell the Turks could not, with German support, manage to stop Arab comandos in the Hejaz.

Trans-slavic nations were under pressure from both Germans and Russians to keep the faith,alliances. Infact, much is often mentioned of these alliances, the assination of Franz Ferdinand which perhaps gave the excuse. Panslavic/Russian and ethnic German ideologies would continue to live in the trans-slavic nations for another 30 years up until WWII. After WWII ethnic German and ethnic Russian distinctions were still made, we still see these distinction today with the Kosovo War and genocide.

[the phantom stranger]

Where the main fighting took place doesn't change the imperialist character of the war. The war took place primarily in Europe but the war was deciding the fate of the empires and colonies of these countries around the world.

[Big Steamers]

In hindsight everything makes sense, but no one wants opinions, facts are hard to come by and truth is seldom friend to any crowd. The Germans locked themselves in a death match with the Soviets over Slavic ideaology. Would the slavs become idealist like the Germans or communists like the Soviets?

Quite obviously history has favored the victory of Soviet ideology over German with regards to the slavs.

[KikoSanchez]

Blame the aggressive Austro-Hungarians.

[Mantikore]

Originally Posted by KikoSanchez

Blame the aggressive Austro-Hungarians.

what did they do? all they wanted was to go in and kill some slavs. they already did that in the first and second balkan wars, but that didnt escalate into a world war

[the phantom stranger]

Austria-Hungary was the mainstay of German imperialism. In fact Austria's ultimatum to Serbia after the assassination was actually the work of Germany.