General WW1 thread. Feel free to ask anything in relation to this war. I'm going to begin the thread with my own question. I brought this up in a previous topic, but the topic was pruned.
What was the relationship between Franz Ferdinand and Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf like?
I'd like it if you guys could fact check my research. From my findings, it seems to be:
Franz Ferdinand actually requested Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf to be Chief of the General Staff. However, throughout Hotzendorf's political career, he constantly demanded war with a bunch of nearby nations, among those being: Italy, Russia, and Serbia. Franz Ferdinand, despite giving Hotzendorf his position, was constantly countering Hotzendorf's demands, making sure that Franz Joseph I of Austria would not go to war with any of these nations and would not listen to any of Hotzendorf's demands.
Were they friends? It seems like Hotzendorf was almost happy that Ferdinand was assassinated as it means that it would be easier for Austria to go to war with Serbia.
Is it true that the internal conflicts in Germany (sailors disobeying the orders of their superiors, socialist and social democrats protesting, Rosa Luxemburg's mini-revolution ect...) weakened those that actually fought on the forntlines?
Also, is this where the Dolchstoßlegende originated?
>>526702
How accurate is dan carlins series?
I'd like to know how much Franz supported the slavs within Austia-Hungary, and was there any chance of federalization if he wasn't killed?
>>526702
Conrad and Ferdinand had an interesting relationship. Both were conservative monarchists however it was their approach to foreign policy which set them apart. Conrad believed AUSHUN remained a military powerhouse, while Ferdinand believed she was too weak.
Ferdinand wanted to boot the Hungarians from the alliance and create a centralized state under Vienna which included Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Poles and Slavs.
Conrad was a militaristic hawk. He did not see diplomacy as a solution and felt the empire needed to assert herself militarily if she was to be taken seriously. Both he and Ferdinand despised the Italians.
It's important to remember that Ferdinand was not assassinated because of his political views. His death did however remove an influential voice in Joseph's court so when Conrad urged for military action it was a one sided argument.
I highly suggest reading about the Bosnian Annexation Crisis in 1908-1909. It would have a big influence on the July Crisis in 1914 so it helps to explain why certain decisions were made.
>>526853
War weariness didn't hit Germany until late 1915. By then she was suffering from major food shortages from the maritime blockade and loss of wheat imports from Russia. Socialists were always an agitation, check out Zimmerwald Manifesto of September 1915.
German sailors disobeyed orders because the High Seas Fleet had been left to rust for most of the war. There were several small scale engagement but only one major fleet action (Jutland, 1916).
Jutland is important because it convinced naval command that the blockade could be broken with surface ships and 8 months later Wilhelm allowed the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare (Feb, 1917). In October 1918, the High Seas Fleet was ordered on a death march where it was supposed to attack Allied shipping and cause as much damage as possible. But by then the sailors had lost all thirst and mutinied when the order to attack was given
>>527053
>convinced naval command that the blockade could be broken
**could NOT be broken.
>>526702
What do you guys think of the "Suicide Cruise" idea put forth in this book?
>>526901
How can anyone listen to his pods? His nerdy speaking is so fucking annoying. Perhaps you have to be American for it to not phase you..
Tomorrow it will be 100 years since the Gallipoli campaign ended.
>>526702
Could Bismarck have prevented it?
>you'll die before he'll ever finish this series
GET TO LAWRENCE OF ARABIA ALREADY
>Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King George V of the United Kingdom, and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia were all first cousins
What the fuck
>>526702
When will Serbia pay for her crimes?
>>526702
Daily reminder that Conrad started the war to impress his waifu Virginia
Daily reminder that the Treaty of Versailles wasn't harsh enough.
>>527575
This is honestly a pretty great series I'm glad someone here recommended it.
Daily reminder that Germany should have won
>>527575
>you'll never live to see a WW2 series like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdFwEfoIM3E
digitized videos from german federal archive
https://www.filmothek.bundesarchiv.de/search?q=&x=1&xf[]=Keywords&xo[]=EQUALS&xv[]=Western+Front%C2%A0%28World+War+I%29
>>527693
Royalty in Europe goes back like that. Especially so with older dynasties.
>>527280
nice, thanks for pointing that out.
>>528610
>>526702
Amerifag here. I learned in school that the US joined late and helped, but never really learned what we actually did. So what did we actually do?
>>527693
>>528742
Not very much. Only a small amount of us soldiers saw combat, mostly under french command. They tended to suffer greater casualties than other forces as they used old fashioned tactics and where very inexperianced. The prospect of millions of fresh men made the central powers nervous but they saw very little fighting.
Was Conrad von Hotzendorf as stupid as The Great War series makes him out to be?
>>531688
more like von KLUTZendorf amirite
Let me take the opportunity and post this great series about WW1 I'm watching right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbwH1ZBnYds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSzHDW0IsoE
Are there any books someone can recommend that are about the African theater of WWI?
I blame reading Dune when I was younger and watching Lawrence of Arabia too much.
>>527575
Is this what you are talking about:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar
looks neat
>>530989
What was the US involvement economically. I always mix up the little I've learned about our trading with European powers during WWI vs during WWII
