I can't even buy a lottery ticket. Effing Kaiser took all my money! POS! I still don't know why you guys love him so much!
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All of the Germans were wearing cool hats back then. You are aware that "Picklehaube" translates as "Pointy hat", yes?Not the helmet then??
Okay, granted. Germany was trying too hard to play the big boy. And even England was itching for a war. Their foreign minister Grey did all he could to get England into the European war. The government even lied at the declaration of war when they stated that they had the obligation to help Belgium becuse of the threaty of 1839. This was not true, they were just itching to join.Enough of this eatin' and drinkin' .......
"...I believe the fear for Germany was irreal ..."
Marcel, my friend, I beg to differ.Germany was spoiling for a fight ... no doubt about it. The Franco Prussian war gave the Germans a heady taste of what they could expect as a unified nation ... from an aggressive, well executed coup de main. But in fairness to Germany, others were spoiling for war too. France wanted revenge for the F-P disaster. Russia wanted a chance to recoup her lost prowess after the Russo-Japan humiliation (and near revolution). Newly nationalized Italy was dreaming of Empire. And byzantine, corrupt Austro-Hungary was willing to fight to hang on to what she had in the way of Empire.
Who wasn't itching for a war in Europe. Only England. She was at the peak of Empire. Had fought a number of wars against 'colonials' of various colors and skill-levels, and didn't need to prove anything to anyone.
If England had had the good sense to let the Kaiser 'at it' .... on European soil ... not at sea .... European history and world history would be a very different story today ..... and non the worse for it, I'm betting.
Why the hell not?Enough of this eatin' and drinkin' .......
The "Haube" is a must...period. Accept no substitute.Not the helmet then??
Enough of this eatin' and drinkin' .......
"...I believe the fear for Germany was irreal ..."
Marcel, my friend, I beg to differ.Germany was spoiling for a fight ... no doubt about it. The Franco Prussian war gave the Germans a heady taste of what they could expect as a unified nation ... from an aggressive, well executed coup de main. But in fairness to Germany, others were spoiling for war too. France wanted revenge for the F-P disaster. Russia wanted a chance to recoup her lost prowess after the Russo-Japan humiliation (and near revolution). Newly nationalized Italy was dreaming of Empire. And byzantine, corrupt Austro-Hungary was willing to fight to hang on to what she had in the way of Empire.
Who wasn't itching for a war in Europe. Only England. She was at the peak of Empire. Had fought a number of wars against 'colonials' of various colors and skill-levels, and didn't need to prove anything to anyone.
If England had had the good sense to let the Kaiser 'at it' .... on European soil ... not at sea .... European history and world history would be a very different story today ..... and non the worse for it, I'm betting.
You will have to grow the cool mustache!F*ck it, let's all dress up as the Kaiser!
Don't believe the others take this thread very serious, old boyWhile England may not have been spoiling for a fight, there was an arms race with the 'new enemy' Germany and a lot of British paranoia about a German invasion.
I agree that if Germany had let the RN have the seven seas we probably not been so keen to fight. But, to expand any empire the Germans needed a navy to equal / beat the RN. So, I go back to my point into another post... WW1 was inevitable.
It ridiculous with hindsight that intelligent nations could walk into such a socially changing and devastating war.