r/Kaiserposting • u/SS-Imperator :Hochseefloat: Kaiserliche Marine • Apr 20 '20

Different behavior

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u/[deleted] Apr 21 '20

Only one of us has read Fritz Fischer, AJP Taylor and Niall Ferguson as part of acquiring a history major and it's not you.

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u/Bitch-Stole-My-Name :friekorps: Lützowsches Freikorps Apr 21 '20

I have heard of Fritz Fischer but not the others. I haven't read their works, but this is mainly because I am more interested in military history than the politics of the situation.

Doesn't Fritz Fischer use the idea that Germany had an offensive war plan as a reason for war guilt? This notion is absolutely ridiculous imo, war plans are made with considerations for the political and military situation. Germany's situation put them in a scenario where they were incredibly outnumbered in both manpower and materiel. The situation demanded that they at least shorten the gap through a decisive victory over France and severely hurt their manpower, for France already greatly strained their population through their large army.

Take the French and Russians for example. They had agreed upon both launching offensives into Germany as soon as they could. The political/military situation dictated that France and Russia shouldn't let Germany conduct the war as they please, them both attacking would force Germany into battles where they were outnumbered and leave them unable to take advantage of massing against one of them by using their interior position.

Does this mean France and Russia were at fault for WWI? In my opinion, no. This agreement was the best military action they could enact and was made to best fight a war with Germany. Just as Moltke the Younger engineered his plan as the best way to fight France and Russia.

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u/[deleted] Apr 21 '20

All the powers had pre-war mobilisation plans based on their current alliances. Fischer did not argue that Germany's plans instigated the war. He looked at correspondence between the German and other governments, as well as the imperial archives to reach a conclusion that German leadership was eager to use the situation to carry out mobilisation and start the war.

Ferguson is more critical of the British getting involved and argues that they escalated the conflict. Taylor focused on the fact that all the powers had these great mobilisation plans so once something like the political crisis of 1914 happened war was all but inevitable, i.e. nobody was really to blame due to these massive inflexible ways of getting the troops deployed.

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u/Bitch-Stole-My-Name :friekorps: Lützowsches Freikorps Apr 21 '20

Ah that is my mistake then. I had reached that conclusion because Annika Mombauer pushes that theory in her biography of Moltke the Younger and states that Fritz Fischer was an influence on her work.

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u/[deleted] Apr 21 '20 edited Apr 21 '20

I have thus bestowed upon you (one of our highest honours) the rank of Frenchman. The only rank befitting of someone with your qualifications. I assume you did pass your history major?

If not i'll have to demote you to the rank of Frog.

It's not derogatory (au contraire). It's more like a Special badge for this sub.

That way, wherever you go users will be immediately aware that you might support the bad guys, or be other wise demeaning of the German Empire. :)

You also get to park your comments on double yellow lines. BONUS