Why did Germany attack France in WW1? Was it really because the French refused to declare their neutrality?
B8
Because the French had an alliance with Russia which could have meant a two front war.
An alliance signed exactly because of the fears of a German invasion, a very realistic fear given the war only a few decades back and aggressive Germany policies in the years leading up to WW1.
>>27882
Germany could never manage a two-front war against France and Russia so the plan was the swiftly knock France out of the game while Russia was still mobilizing, which would take a lot longer due to their infrastructure and organization being a few notches behind the other European powers.
>>27928
>aggressive Germany policies in the years leading up to WW1.
Can you give any examples? The balance of power that Bismarck established set the most peaceful and stable decades Europe had seen in a long time. If anyone was aggressive I'd say the revanchist French were, as they were still sour after the Franco-Prussian war. The Germans were unified, had acquired colonies, their industry was booming - they, if anyone, were content with their position.
>>27882
Germany was provoking shit even before WW1. Shit turned aggressive after Kaiser. Besides, they were natural enemies since Holy Roman Empire.
>>28066
>Can you give any examples
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Moroccan_Crisis
>>28141
>Willy II trying to flex his muscles
Such a disastrous leader at such a pivotal time
>>28282
It's not his fault. Bismarck formed a system that was so delicate, it would be inevitable regardless who came after his reign. But Willy accelerated the process.
>>28066
>Germany could never manage a two-front war against France and Russia so the plan was the swiftly knock France out of the game while Russia was still mobilizing
This.
There was no other way.
>>27882
>Austria attacks Serbia
>Germany promises to back Austria up no matter what
>Knows that attacking Serbia will bring Russia into the war
>Knows that that will bring France into the war
>Doesn't want to fight both at once
>Thinks that France is the easier of the two to take out quickly
>Ergo, attack France
>>28126
>Besides, they were natural enemies since Holy Roman Empire.
France and the Holy Roman Empire had great relations until Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century.
>>28371
I was talking more about Thirty Years War and events after that.
>>28066
>The balance of power that Bismarck established set the most peaceful and stable decades Europe had seen in a long time
That all went to shit though when people stopped listening to him. He knew that the French butthurt over losing AL would be the largest amount of anal anguish the world has ever seen and told them not to take it but they did anyway.
>>28365
They didn't back Austria up hoping they'd get to attack Russia through the Serbs. Russia's premature mobilization was actually really inconvenient for the Germans and put them in a really tight spot.
>>28066
Moroccan Crisis
naval buildup
diplomatic isolation of France
actively worsening relations with Russia
you mention revanchist French, but France was decidedly NOT revanchist in the years preceding ww1! it was staunchly anti war, socialist, anti jingoistic, massive checks on military power, absolute desire to avoid war
>>28512
This.
The idea was for Austria to strike before the Great Powers could react and confront them with the status quo. However, the Austrian soldiers were at home for harvest, so it took them months to actually get going. By that time, Russia was already mobilising.
>>28365
>Thinks that France is the easier of the two to take out quickly
No, the German chiefs of staff just though that Russia would be extremely slow at mobilizing their troops, and that they would have had the time to defeat France in the meanwhile. And the problem is that Russia was way quicker than they thought it would be, which led the Cossaks to come extremely close to Berlin before the germans were able to react and defeated them.
>>27882
To make a long story short, everything at the time was a simmering pot of hostilities, jingoism, and posturing waiting to boil over.
Germany invaded France because they were pissed at previous defeat at their hands, and war was still seen as a glorious occasion. There was literally cheering in the streets of Germany when The Big One broke out.
the french are Keks and desperatly in need of a master, thats why 30% of people in france are Algerians.
>>29814
Wait, yeah. Wasn't there some certain river/stream/lake along the French border which they made a big deal repelling 'The Huns' from?
>>29814
>Germany invaded France because they were pissed at previous defeat at their hands,
Um.
The Prussians won the Franco-Prussian war, no idea what war you think the Germans lost to the French.
>>28330
Hell, it might have worked too if the plan wasn't so vague and outdated. But, that's early 20th century imperial tactics.
'Send enough chaps to knock 'em down, and we'll be home by [insert holiday here]!'
>>28575
This. The big revanchist crisis was with Boulanger, and it was in 1880s, not in 1914. France didn't want a war with Germany, and wasn't ready to do it simply for Alsace.
>>27882
>Alsace
>Lorraine
>alliance with Russia
>easy target due to all kinds of social unrest
>>29859
Shit, must be thinking of something else, or misinterpreting.
I dunno, it's been a couple of years since I've had a in-depth look at this.
Though to be fair, the initiation of WW1 was an utter cluster-fuck of events.
>>28066
It wasn't just french revanchism though, there were a lot of very powerful people in germany, industrials etc., who after a series of military successes started believing germany was unstoppable and had to rule the world
There was a general attitude of "we're not being taken seriously for how strong we are" which was strenghtened by wilhelm II's behaviour in foreign policies, so you could say a lot of people in germany were just as much trying to start another war as the french were
V O N S C H L I E F F E N P L A N
>>28575
The naval buildup was really the most stupid thing Wilhelm ever did
>>29814
>There was literally cheering in the streets of Germany when The Big One broke out.
Yeah because they thought it would be a quick win
>>29952
alsace lorrain was already german prior ww1
If Germany hadn't gone on the offensive, would another country have?
