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Germany's diplomatic actions before the war were very shortsighted, it seems like almost everything the Kaiser did served to diplomatically isolate Germany.
Yep. I wonder what Bismarck thought during his waning years as Wilhelm II undid all his brilliant work.
Part of Dreadnaught deal with Wilhelm's psychology. It doesn't get discussed much in histories of World War I, but he was born with his left arm considerably shorter than his right. He was always obsessed with looking like a misshapen freak. I wonder if that had something to do with his hyperaggressive statecraft.
Yep. I wonder what Bismarck thought during his waning years as Wilhelm II undid all his brilliant work.
Part of Dreadnaught deal with Wilhelm's psychology. It doesn't get discussed much in histories of World War I, but he was born with his left arm considerably shorter than his right. He was always obsessed with looking like a misshapen freak. I wonder if that had something to do with his hyperaggressive statecraft.
There was definitely some kind of superiority complex involved. There's also a theory that visited his grandmother, Queen Victoria, in his youth made him envious of her Britain's navy and overseas Empire. Which explains his obsession with replicating that for Germany.
It's fascinating that these major world events can often be understood by learning the psychology of those involved.
Bismarck also worked very hard to create a delicate system that isolated France. Yet Wilhelm II's brash actions pushed Russia, and Framce'a historical enemy, Britain towards them. Bringing France back in from the wilderness, after decades of isolation.
It chronicles the events of August, 1914 that led to World War I, the war that changed Europe forever, and all the reasons why August, 1914 became the fuze that ignited the bomb.
It's pretty old now- published in 1968, as I recall, but I think it's a must-read if a person wants to understand everything that followed. The after effects of that month are still with us, 103 years later.
It chronicles the events of August, 1914 that led to World War I, the war that changed Europe forever, and all the reasons why August, 1914 became the fuze that ignited the bomb.
It's pretty old now- published in 1968, as I recall, but I think it's a must-read if a person wants to understand everything that followed. The after effects of that month are still with us, 103 years later.
I've heard of Barbara Tuchman's work, that The Guns of August is a must read. I'd also add in her other book, The Proud Tower, which describes the events that lead up to the Great War.
I must admit that I haven't read either book yet, but this thread prompted me to get these two books from Amazon and add them to my future reading list.
I've heard of Barbara Tuchman's work, that The Guns of August is a must read. I'd also add in her other book, The Proud Tower, which describes the events that lead up to the Great War.
I must admit that I haven't read either book yet, but this thread prompted me to get these two books from Amazon and add them to my future reading list.
You know, while you're right about The Guns of August, I found The Proud Tower to be a disappointment.
It felt like a rush job of a sequel, a quick rundown of Europe as the pinnacle of Western Civilization before the idiots tore it down. Might be just me.
That being said, Tuchman's other fine, fine work is A Distant Mirror, the chronicle of Europe in the 14th century. Really, that century was one calamity after another, which ultimately paved the way for the reordering of European society with the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment.
I must admit to recently purchasing The Proud Tower on the reputation of Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August...and that it was required reading in my brother's history class during college. I still remember it sitting on the shelf in his room, probably unread, as he wasn't very bookish.
One Amazon review called The Proud Tower "a towering disappointment", but another critical review points out that it's not actually one book but rather an anthology of articles authored by Tuchman, which would account for its perceived lack of flow and repetitiveness, as noted in the negative reviews.
I'm a huge WW 2 reader. One book I definitely would recommend is D-Day by Stephen Ambrose.
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