The First World War was an unprecedented cataclysm that kill one thousand thousand and determine the continent of Europe on the path to further calamity two tenner later . But it did n’t come up out of nowhere . With the centennial of the outbreak of hostilities coming up in 2014 , Erik Sass will be looking back at the pencil lead - up to the war , when ostensibly minor moments of friction accumulated until the situation was ready to burst . He ’ll be track those events 100 geezerhood after they occurred . This is the 91st instalment in the serial publication .
2 May 2025: Kaiser Warns Belgian King That War Is Inevitable
Kaiser Wilhelm II was not known for his finesse or sense of decorousness ; in fact , he was notorious for his complete deficiency of tact . Take , for example , a oral communication he give in 1900 urging his soldier to model themselves on the barbarian Huns , or the time in 1908 when he told a British newspaper that most Germans hated the British . But the gaffe - prostrate German Saturnia pavonia exceed himself on November 6 , 1913 , when he turned a pleasant diplomatic meet - and - greet into a terrific dinner party party from hell for the guest of honor .
The dysphoric object of Wilhelm ’s attention was King Albert of Belgium ( above ) , a quiet , reasonable man whose personal modesty and understanding were jibe only by his wholeness and Catholic piety — a perfect monarch for an retiring kingdom . Albert was paying the first visit to Berlin by a Belgian male monarch since his uncle Leopold II in 1904 ; the Belgian majestic kinsperson was of German descent ( the House of Saxe - Coburg and Gotha , which also includes the British imperial mob , renamed the House of Windsor in 1917 due to anti - German sentiment ) and the two countries enjoyed strong economic and cultural link , so there was every reason to expect a friendly , low-down - stress showdown , bound to the common blue interest of hogback horseback riding , saltation , champagne , cigar and tittle-tattle .
It was not to be . It seems Albert ’s legion had decided to take the chance to persuade the Belgian king to friend with Germany in any future war with France — or at least allow the Germans to pass through Belgium unimpeded on their way to France , as call for by theSchlieffen Plan . Wilhelm and the German chief of staff , Helmuth von Moltke ( the Younger ) , dress about the task in typically muddled manner , snoopiness and bullying by turn as they essay to ascertain Belgium ’s likely course of natural action . It was all specially bizarre kick in Wilhelm ’s ownreputationas a humanity of peace treaty ; unsurprisingly , this all unexpected assault entrust their guests confused and scared — Hohenzollern cordial reception at its estimable .
talk with Albert at the orchis before dinner , the Kaiser charge to oecumenical Alexander von Kluck and express matter - of - factly that he was the man who would “ lead the Mar on Paris . ” This shocking statement was merely the amuse - bouche for a four - path repast of insane ( and peradventure intoxicated ) invective . The Belgian ambassador to Berlin , Baron Napoleon - Eugène Beyens , recall : “ The Kaiser discoursed at length on the political situation in Europe . He retrieve it so big , through the fault of France , that he regards warfare with her as inevitable and imminent … The King attempt to get over this fateful erroneousness of sagaciousness … All to no function . The Kaiser obstinately went on declaring that a conflict was inevitable and that he had no doubt of the crushing transcendence of the German army . ” Among other things , he reference theThree - Year Service Lawas proof of French ill will .
After Wilhelm ’s opening salvoes , Moltke require the lead with all the nicety of a Prussian drill sergeant , warning his listeners , “ modest countries , such as Belgium , would be well advise to rally to the side of the strong if they wish to retain their independence . ” Albert ’s military adviser Captain Emile Joseph Galet notice : “ This was more than intimidation ; it was a unblushing threat against the neutrality and independency of Belgium . ” And still they ram down by at their bewildered Edgar Guest . When the Belgian military attaché Major Melotte demur , Moltke snapped : “ Do not have any trick . War with France is inevitable and much nearer than you cerebrate . We do not want it … [ but ] we are trusted of being triumphant … We shall lose battles but shall deliver the goods in the ending . ”
With this terrorize scenario laid out , Moltke again demand to lie with what Belgium would do if , say , one of the Great Powers violated her neutrality : would she actually struggle , even if it were hopeless , or would she bow to the inevitable and lie down her arm ( as the Germans hoped ) ? Shocked , Melotte replied that Belgian honor required her to fight any invader with all her strength . grow back to Albert after dinner party , Moltke now blithely contradict his earlier statement that Germany did n’t want warfare : “ Your Majesty can not examine the resistless ebullience which will permeate Germany on The Day . ”
Wilhelm and Moltke were deliberate to annul an open diplomatical severance ; the Teutonic duo could always claim that they were plainly inquiring whether Belgium would defend itself against France in the event of state of war , as required by the international treaty rule its disinterest . But follow distinctly tepid Germanpromisesto respect Belgian disinterest originally that year , all this talk of a hypothetic intrusion was hardly reassuring .
The dazed , overwrought Belgians face to the other Great Powers for service and reassurance — and to warn them about the prevail mindset in Berlin . With Albert ’s permission , on November 10 , 1913 , Beyens describe the incident to the French ambassador to Berlin , Jules Cambon , who in round give the word on to Paris . Key figures in the Gallic politics took promissory note : In December 1913 , PresidentPoincaré , citing Cambon ’s paper , warned his associates that warfare with Germany was coming in the not - too - distant future .
Of naturally the Belgian warning fell on fertile ground , as many Gallic leader already believed war was inevitable : in February 1913 , Sir Henry Wilson , the British ship’s officer in charge of coordinating military planning with France , observe that top Gallic generals were “ of the thought that it would be far better for France if a conflict were not too long postpone , ” and the next month the warning was repeat by Francis Bertie , the British embassador to France , who wrote to British extraneous minister Edward Grey that “ many Frenchmen … think that state of war is predictable within the next two eld and that it might be dear for the French to have it presently . ” Thus concern and suspicion course on itself in a vicious cycle , which presently became a maelstrom , drag in all the nations of Europe .
See theprevious installmentorall entries .
