Germany Before World War I
To what extent was Germany already at war with Europe by 1914?
There were several factors that prove that Germany was already at war before WWI even started
- Germany had greatly increased its naval production in order to overpower the British navy
- Germany cut her ties with Russia, putting her in a defensive position
- At the first Moroccan crisis Germany put on a display of force, intimidating the French
Germany was afraid of the large British navy
- Germany increased naval production in order to overpower Britain, should the need arise
- Increased production led to a naval arms race with Britain
- Germany was essentially waiting for the opportunity to strike
Germany favored her Austro-Hungarian ties over her Russian alliance
- Since Germany intended to remain Austria-Hungary's ally, Russian ties were sacrificed
- This put Germany in a two-front war position, forcing them to look for an opening to remove either France or Russia
- This gave reason for increased arms production, starting more arms races
At the Moroccan crisis Germany refused to let France have her land
- Germany tried to show herself as the stronger potential ally
- This failed, since Britain backed France in the event
- Germany ended up in an even more hostile situation, bringing it to the brink of war
Germany's various blunders led to a unfavorable position, heightening the conflict with other European nations
- Since Germany realized her bad position she looked for a way to strike soon, before things worsened
- Germany was losing arm's races, and her enemies were growing
- Germany was essentially losing the war before it officially started
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