Wannabe NATO member on war path | 100 comments (100 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Wannabe NATO member on war path (4.00 / 2)

They weren't actively seeking one. The Germans were - they felt they needed to destroy Russia sooner rather than later, wanted to get their 'rightful' place in Europe and the world, plus felt it would be a good way of solving domestic tensions. The French weren't reluctant to go to war unlike 1939, but they weren't into starting one on their own. At least that's been the historiographical consensus since the dust settled from the arguments started by Fritz Fischer's Griff nach der Weltmacht (1961, English title "Germany Aims in WWI)

by MarekNYC on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 02:31:00 PM EST
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Re: Wannabe NATO member on war path (none / 1)

I am trying (failing) to remember the name of the french union leader that was murdered in the early days of the war, in all probability to prevent him playing a leading role against the war. You can not google keywords you do not remember.

Though elites are hardly acting as one anyway.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 08:01:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Wannabe NATO member on war path (none / 1)

Are you talking about Jaures? Leader of the Socialists. Murdered by a hardline nationalist outraged at his lack of 'patriotism'.

by MarekNYC on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 08:07:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Wannabe NATO member on war path (none / 1)

I did indeed (thank you!), and as circumstances surrounding his death was different then I remembered them, I withdraw what would have been my orginal comment.

(To be less cryptic: As I remembered it, the murderer had more connections with the elite then it turns out. Had my memory been correct one could have argued that this murder was a symptom of french elites wanting the war. But that does not seem to be the case.)

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 08:14:30 PM EST
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Re: Wannabe NATO member on war path (4.00 / 2)

Well, a very large share of the French wanted the war, and not only the elites. The education system, the army, had been propagandising about a revenge against the Germans since 1870.

Don't forget at the time nationalism had been a left-wing idea ; in 1870 the republicans were in favour of continuing the fight, against the monarchists and bonapartists who had agreed to an armistice.

Many events in France before the war can be understood as part of the war preparations against Germany : for example the Dreyfus affair started as a espionage scandal as Germany had gained access to secret artillery designs.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 08:24:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Wannabe NATO member on war path (4.00 / 2)

It was Jean Jaurès.

by Humbug (mailklammeraffeschultedivisstrackepunktde) on Fri Aug 8th, 2008 at 08:31:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Wannabe NATO member on war path | 100 comments (100 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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