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When Second Balkan Crisis erupted in July 1914 , German General Staff mostly headed by Von Moltke the Younger and Admiral Von Tirpitz , put up a huge pressure to initiate Schlieffen Plan at once and start mobilisation plan that was drawn and written in detail and start meticilous train schedules as soon as possible. So much that while German Foreign Office was telling Vienna to go slow on Serbia , German General Staff was relaying Austrian High Command that they would support them no matter what against Russia if they mobilise against Serbia (Austrian goverment inquired "who rules in Berlin ?)
What was the reason of such rashness and haste to initiate Schlieffen Plan as soon as possible , not even properly giving diplomats in Wilhelmstrasse a chance ? Even main proponent of the plan Von Moltke the Younger was not fully confident of its success. Was it German ruling military german general class (Junkers landowning aristocrat class , highly conservative men afraid of losing their dominance in Second Reich politics) fear of losing their power in domestic politics since German Social Democrats won huge number of seats in Reichstag in 1912 elections and became majority over conservatives. Was it German Generals last throw of dice to increase their popularity in German society in midst of a huge workers movement during Second Internationale , preserve their powerbase in goverment and in army their most important asset and cripple Social Democratic policies which intended to give more budget and legistation to social programs , by imitating Bismarck and start a war that was supposed to be short and victorious against a popular enemy like Bismark did in 1870-71 Franco-Prussia War to unify Germany and create Second Reich ?
Or was it an irrational fear of Tsarist Russia which was investing in railway construction , heavy industry , oil production and mining and raising its economic output sharply since Russo-Japanese War in 1904 and Imperial German militarist generals felt threatened by it ? Von Montke the Younger remarked that if they fight with Russia in 1917 or 1918 they could not win , rather fight with them now when they had a chance to win in 1914. Was it the reason they took such big gamble to antagonise both France and Russia (and ignore Bismark's diplomacy to isolate a foe , like France in 1870) since Kaiser Wilhelm II had not renewed extension of Three Emperors League from 19th Century ?
What was the reason of such rashness and haste to initiate Schlieffen Plan as soon as possible , not even properly giving diplomats in Wilhelmstrasse a chance ? Even main proponent of the plan Von Moltke the Younger was not fully confident of its success. Was it German ruling military german general class (Junkers landowning aristocrat class , highly conservative men afraid of losing their dominance in Second Reich politics) fear of losing their power in domestic politics since German Social Democrats won huge number of seats in Reichstag in 1912 elections and became majority over conservatives. Was it German Generals last throw of dice to increase their popularity in German society in midst of a huge workers movement during Second Internationale , preserve their powerbase in goverment and in army their most important asset and cripple Social Democratic policies which intended to give more budget and legistation to social programs , by imitating Bismarck and start a war that was supposed to be short and victorious against a popular enemy like Bismark did in 1870-71 Franco-Prussia War to unify Germany and create Second Reich ?
Or was it an irrational fear of Tsarist Russia which was investing in railway construction , heavy industry , oil production and mining and raising its economic output sharply since Russo-Japanese War in 1904 and Imperial German militarist generals felt threatened by it ? Von Montke the Younger remarked that if they fight with Russia in 1917 or 1918 they could not win , rather fight with them now when they had a chance to win in 1914. Was it the reason they took such big gamble to antagonise both France and Russia (and ignore Bismark's diplomacy to isolate a foe , like France in 1870) since Kaiser Wilhelm II had not renewed extension of Three Emperors League from 19th Century ?
