Edward VII "Uncle of Europe"

[citedon]

Several years ago, I heard it said in a documentary about the funeral of Edward VII, that WWI might have been avoided had he not died in 1910. Perhaps it could be an interesting topic for discussion. I understand the he was quite charming and popular. Edward was related to almost all of the European monarchs. He also had friendly relations with the president of France. Even though the Kaiser did not like him much, Edward did have some influence with him. Also, I don't think that his relationship with the Russian Czar was very good. I am not interested in a typical "what if" discussion, though some of those comments are welcome, but would like to read some opinions about how influential Edward and Britain were in European affairs at that time, from those of you who are more knowledgeable than me (I'm sure there are many) about this subject.

 

[Lord Baal]

The royal families of Europe had varying degrees of control over their countries at the outbreak of WWI. But in every case, excepting Romania, the war was pushed by either the government or the military - sometimes both - rather than by the monarchs themselves. Edward VII would have had absolutely no effect on the outbreak of war. He may possibly have altered the political climate in the UK itself long enough for Germany to defeat France before the British could enter the war, but even that is doubtful.

 

[Dachs]

If Edward had any effect on Anglo-German relations, it was a profoundly negative one.

 

[History_Buff]

And at any rate, George V, Nicholas II, and Wilhelm II were all cousins, and even somewhat close in their youths.

 

[Squonk]

WWI wos trogic, os ony wor, but it helped to free mony notions of eostern Europe, so its consekuences were good.

 

[Lord Baal]

WWI wos trogic, os ony wor, but it helped to free mony notions of eostern Europe, so its consekuences were good.

I choose to read this as freeing Eastern Europe of their notions about money, ie) capitalism, and bringing them the glory of communism.

 

[Squonk]

I choose to read this as freeing Eastern Europe of their notions about money, ie) capitalism, and bringing them the glory of communism.

 

[HardRocker]

Seeing as how WWI was started due to passions and feuds ignited by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the crown prince, Edward VI's influence would probably not have stopped Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia. It might have lessened the extent of hostilities, but in the end we will never know because he did indeed die.

 

[Dachs]

Seeing as how WWI was started due to passions and feuds ignited by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria

Nope.

 

[Serutan]

Seeing as how WWI was started due to passions and feuds ignited by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria.

"The powderkeg that was Europe in 1914 was ignited by the spark of the
assasination of Franz Ferdinand" is far closer to the truth.

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

"The powderkeg that was Europe in 1914 was ignited by the spark of the
assasination of Franz Ferdinand" is far closer to the truth.

Don't you know anything, it was unbridled German aggression that started WWI

 

[JohannaK]

It's always the Germans if anyone asks. Or the barbarians of the area for older times (fall of Rome anybody? )

 

[Virote_Considon]

This just in: the mysterious (and evil!) Fyrom and its Fyromian people are actual descendants of the "Lost Tribe of Germany".

 

[History_Buff]

It's always the Germans if anyone asks. Or the barbarians of the area for older times (fall of Rome anybody? )

No, those barbarians were just pushed there by the Huns, which were actually the Xiongnu. Blame the Mongolians, or the Romans for not building a big wall which totally succeeded in keeping such barbarians out.

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

It's always the Germans if anyone asks. Or the barbarians of the area for older times (fall of Rome anybody? )

No joke it is always the Germans, at least after the Holocaust. Most people, and sadly even historians until very recently, look at German history through the lens of the Nazis and the Holocaust. I can still remember learning about German Unification back in High School and the teacher unintentionally making the Prussians sound like savages, and even say that "Prussian Militarism leads to the Nazis".

No, those barbarians were just pushed there by the Huns, which were actually the Xiongnu. Blame the Mongolians, or the Romans for not building a big wall which totally succeeded in keeping such barbarians out.

The Great Wall was never good at keeping anybody out, the He Xi corridor was like the Wild West and it was inside the wall. Ask the Romans in Britain how well a long wall keeps out invaders. Many modern theories believe that walls such as the Great Wall, Hadrain's Wall, and the Great Wall of Gorgan were more an attempt to regulate and control the movement of peoples than actually keep anyone out.

Also there is almost no proof that the Xiongnu of China and the Huns of Europe are the same people. Ethnic and tribal identity are pretty much impossible to keep track of even to this day. Modern Chinese scholars are fond of making this Xiongnu=Hun connection because they can sit back and go, "Haha, out ancient ancestors beat the people that destroyed your ancient ancestors!"

 

[History_Buff]

The Great Wall was never good at keeping anybody out, the He Xi corridor was like the Wild West and it was inside the wall. Ask the Romans in Britain how well a long wall keeps out invaders. Many modern theories believe that walls such as the Great Wall, Hadrain's Wall, and the Great Wall of Gorgan were more an attempt to regulate and control the movement of peoples than actually keep anyone out.

Also there is almost no proof that the Xiongnu of China and the Huns of Europe are the same people. Ethnic and tribal identity are pretty much impossible to keep track of even to this day. Modern Chinese scholars are fond of making this Xiongnu=Hun connection because they can sit back and go, "Haha, out ancient ancestors beat the people that destroyed your ancient ancestors!"

missedthejoke.pdf

 

[Gen.Mannerheim]

missedthejoke.pdf

Bad info + bad joke= -10 points from Hufflepuff

And no I didn't miss it lol. Just bad.

ps. I'm currently in a graduate history of Central Asia/Silk Road and we had a huge argument over this very same issue just this Wednesday so I'm probably just in too serious of a mind set atm sorry

 

[Yeekim]

So the poor old ostrich died for nothing then?

 

[Dachs]

So the poor old ostrich died for nothing then?

The ostrich died so that Russia could have an empire in the Middle East, so that Serbia could become the new hegemon of the Balkans, so that France could keep her Russian alliance against Germany, and so that Britain could preserve her overseas empire.

Oh, wait.

 

[WindFish]

The ostrich died so that Russia could have an empire in the Middle East, so that Serbia could become the new hegemon of the Balkans, so that France could keep her Russian alliance against Germany, and so that Britain could preserve her overseas empire.

Oh, wait.

That stuff still needed a casus beli to happen and the poor hungry ostrich was that