The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #156239 Message #3686424
Posted By: Teribus
17-Dec-14 - 02:04 AM
Thread Name: BS: I am not an historian but........
Subject: RE: BS: I am not an historian but........
"could Germany have been brought to heel by no other means. its something we don't know."
No and yes we do know - all you have to do is read up on it.
The plain fact of the case was that as soon as Germany mobilised its forces in the west, i.e. the forces assigned under Von Moltke's modified Schlieffen Plan, they had to move as they could not be held in waiting on German soil.
Now the Serbs could mobilise then stand their troops down.
The Austro-Hungarians could mobilise their troops then stand them down.
The Russians could mobilise their troops then stand them down.
The French could mobilise their troops then stand them down.
The British could mobilise their troops then stand them down.
For their war plan to work the Germans could NOT.
The ONLY window of opportunity to prevent the war from happening occurred between the 28th July and the 31st July, 1914. By the 25th July Serbia had virtually capitulated to all but one of the ten Austrian demands - the Kaiser opted for war:
1st August Germany orders full mobilisation and declares war on Russia
2 August 1914, Germany invades Luxembourg and demands that German armies be given free passage through Belgian territory.
3rd August Belgium refuses free passage to German troops, Germany declares war on France.
4 August, German troops invaded Belgium. Great Britain declares war on Germany.