It's truly remarkable how many folks feel compelled to sound off on political or military topics without stooping to soil their hands by actually doing research, as for instance reading books about their chosen topics.    There are no doubt rightist know-nothings on other sites, but here we are lopsidedly blessed with those on the left. No wonder folkies' grasp of military and political realities is so universally admired.

It takes just a bare modicum of research to find out that there was considerable enthusiasm for war in 1914 in Paris, London, St. Petersburg and Berlin, among others.   Many in each nation were seemingly convinced that they would win before Christmas 1914. It is simplistic in the extreme--and typical on Mudcat--to claim that this is due solely to jingoistic xenophobia or propaganda.   It is always easy to underestimate your enemy, especially if you have not been in a major war for a while.   (The same thing happened in the US in 1861--in both the North and South.) And there were all sorts of personal reasons to greet war with enthusiasm.

By Christmas 1914 it was apparent the war would not be short and war fever had in large part evaporated--all over. In Germany, for instance, the old particularism was still very much in evidence---many Bavarians and Saxons, some of whom had been employed in the UK, wanted no part of what was seen as a Prussian war.    The "Christmas Truce" for instance was primarily in the sectors manned by Saxons and Bavarians.

But if we hope to have any grasp of history at all, we need to stop looking at it from our own 20/20 hindsight and often pacifist viewpoints.

Face it, in August 1914 the war was very popular in many quarters.    And that was not just due to propaganda.


The flip side is that the allegation that in 1939 mankind had learned nothing is also wrong.   In 1939 Hitler was one of the few in all of Europe who welcomed war.   The start of war was not popular in Germany; it was received somberly.   Indeed Hitler's popularity in Germany was in large part due to the perception that he had achieved many German goals without war. Even so there had been several attempts within Germany to kill him, as well as conspiracies which fizzled. And the primary impetus to asssassinate him was a conviction that he would start a war Germany could not win.